The Oathkeeper Pirates
by Espada Jurabi Therion
Summary: In the world of dangerous oceans, there exist powerful pirate crews who seek the legendary treasure known as the One Piece. One such pirate crew, led by the daughter of the Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Belle, journeys into the Grandline with the crew she trusts her life with. Challenges await this crew, known as the Oathkeeper Pirates, in the treacherous sea known as the Grandline.
1. Intro Arc Chp 1: Monkey D Belle

**Jurabi: Heeeeeeeellooooooo~! This is Espada4Jurabi here bringing you…a um...okay, screw it. This is the fourth time I've done this, but I'm sure most of you are new since I posted this as a new story...again!**

 **I'm sure most of you are wondering why I have restarted this story for the fourth time. Well, the answer is that I was busy reworking something and then I came to the realization that I need to start the story over again. What I reworked on, I'll tell you later. The other reason is that I felt some sort of disconnect with the story. I'm not sure why, but that's what I thought was happening, and that kinda put a damper on my confidence. The third reason is because I've picked up some new writing skills and realize that my story needs yet another rework.**

 **I know that most of you are annoyed by this; I am too. I don't want to keep rewriting the same beginnings over and over again. I have so much planned for this story's future and I don't have time to be lollygagging around at the beginning trying to set up the characters and the fundamentals of the entire story.**

 **Okay, so for those of you who are new to this story, welcome. I know that a lot of what I'm talking about doesn't make sense, but to sum it up, this is my fourth restart of this story and it is about the next generation of pirates in the One Piece world after Luffy's generation. In origin, this is an SYOC story. Speaking of OC's, I've realized that I had a mountain of open spots still available that I haven't bothered to mention, so if you could read all the way to the end of this introduction chapter, I'll give the full details.**

 **For those both old and new, thank you for reading this story. I love the fact that I can write something for others to read no matter how amazing or awful it is. It brings warmth to my heart from all the reviews I've gotten over the years. So please, bear with me just this one last time. I will get better and we will get to the amazing parts I have planned for this story.**

 **So sit back and enjoy this quick introduction of one of our main characters.**

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 ** _DISCLAIMER: I, Espada Jurabi Therion, do not own One Piece._**

 ** _One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda-senpai and Oda-senpai alone. Please support the official release. :)_**

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 **Intro Arc Chp. 1: Monkey D. Belle**

 _~~Unknown Location~~_

A huge explosion occurred at a gigantic theater. The explosion caught the attention of the island inhabitance. Inside, as the people were evacuated out of the audience chamber, a brigade of marines stormed into the chamber.

"Those bastards are in here somewhere," Growled a marine.

"To think they would target the Camberance Theater of all places," Said another marine.

Unknown to the marines, there was a female watching them from the top of the theater lights.

"All according to plan," She said as she dropped a purple crystal on top of the marines.

When the rock fell on the ground, the marines stopped and pointed their guns at the rock.

"This is…" A marine muttered before he drew his attention up at the lights to see a girl staring down at them, "There she is!"

The girl smirked as she fixed straight, orange hair that extended to the middle of her back. Her eyes were dark-brown. Her outfit consisted of an orange, hooded jacket over a cream, deep-collared vest worn over a low-cut, black shirt; both were covered by a dark, gray shrug with a raised collar, three quarter sleeves adorned with a single black stripe down the outside of each sleeve, and gold cuffs. A black miniskirt was worn under the cream vest. A pair of crooked, black belts with gold accents was slung around her hip with a purple piece of fabric attached to the left-rear section of the lower belt. She wore thigh-high stockings attached to her miniskirt by garter-belts on the front and back of each thigh, decorated with four golden studs above her knee. She also wore black ankle-boots with multiple buckles and white ribbons on the back tied in a bow. Around her neck was a purple pendant set in silver. Another thing lying around her neck was a pair of purple headphones.

"Good evening, marines," The girl said, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Surrender, pirate scum," A marine ordered as the whole squad pointed their guns at her.

"Sorry, not in the mood," The girl said, shrugging with the smug look on her face, "But I might surrender if you catch me."

"You think this is some kind of game!" A marine shouted.

"I do," The girl said sticking her tongue out, "Catch me if you can~!"

"The target is here in the audience chamber," A marine said on a Den Den Mushi, "Moving to pursue."

"Haha, they're all after me now," The girl said to her Den Den Mushi as she took out a black briefcase and slid it into a ventilation shaft.

 _"Good job,"_ Said a worried boy's voice, _"Now get running, Belle."_

 _"Thanks for the assist,"_ Said a mature boy's voice, _"Now's our only chance."_

 _"S-Stay calm! You can get away now,"_ Said a timid boy's voice.

 _"We'll retrieve the cargo on our end,"_ Said a mature female's voice.

"Will you guys be okay on your escape?" The orange haired girl asked.

 _"Don't worry about us,"_ Said the worried boy.

 _"Yeah, concentrate on getting away,"_ Another male voice said.

"On it," The orange haired girl said as she began jumping through the theater lights. As she did so, she noticed the entire audience chamber becoming packed with marines, "Yep, they're all on my tail right now."

 _"No kidding,"_ Said the worried boy, _"But I have to admit, causing that huge explosion earlier to alert everyone in the theater was an excellent move. A bit reckless, but nice work as always, Belle."_

"Aw, thanks," The orange haired girl named Belle said, blushing.

 _"Heehee, I bet Tiggy wouldn't be able to pull it off that smoothly,"_ Said a bubbly girl's voice.

 _"That's because he has no understanding on the concept of subtlety,"_ Said a calm boy's voice.

 _"Yeah, Prince Tiggy and subtlety go as well as oil and water,"_ Said a girl's voice putting emphasis on the title 'Prince' in a love struck manner.

 _"Neither of you two are any better!"_ Shouted an irritated boy's voice.

"Almost there…" Belle said as she was about to reach the other side of the audience chamber, but another squad of marines came out from the elevator.

"There she is!" A marine shouted.

"Suspect location confirmed!" Another marine shouted, "Moving to intercept!"

"Crap!" Belle shouted

 _"T-To the roof, Ms. Belle!"_ Shouted the timid boy, "H-Hurry!"

"Alright," Belle said as she took a good look up at the far away glass ceiling, "Like Dad taught me…" She reared up her arm as if she was preparing to stretch it as far as possible. Before she extended her arm, purple crystals formed on her arms. She extended her arm forward towards the glass ceiling and it started stretching all the way as if it was elastic. She punched the ceiling causing the glass to shatter, "Here we go!" Belle shouted as she formed crystals on her other arm and made a crystal shield to protect her from the falling glass as she catapulted herself onto the roof.

"The pirate has jumped up to the roof top!" The marines shouted as they quickly scrambled out of the audience chamber to avoid the falling glass.

 _"Okay, Belle has the marines preoccupied,"_ Said the worried boy's voice, _"Looks like the rest of us can slip away now."_

 _"Everyone remembers where we're meeting up after this, right,"_ Asked a deep male's voice.

 _"N-no worries,"_ Answered the timid boy, _"I can guide all of us there."_

Belle had arrived at the roof top and landed on her feet, "Okay, where next."

 _"There should be—"_

"Stop right there!" A deep voice shouted.

Belle spun around and saw a huge, muscular marine carrying a dual axe and his squad.

"Heh, here too?" Belle asked, "You guys thought of everything."

"I'll have your head as a trophy, pirate!" Shouted the muscular as he swung his axe at Belle.

"Don't have the luxury to be a trophy," Belle said, "I'm glad you offered, though." Belle jumped over the axe swing and punched the muscular marine in the gut with her left fist sending him flying across the plains

Seeing their strongest man sent packing with such ease from this random girl sent shocks across the bodies of the other four marines.

"Wh-what the hell?!" A marine asked in shock.

Belle let out a smirk before she got into a battle stance with her left arm stretched out in front with her right arm close to her right shoulder, "Move it! You're in my way!"

"Stand your ground," A marine ordered, "This may be our one chance to stop this criminal!"

At the command, the marines all began their attack on Belle with their swords drawn.

Belle dodged through the sword strikes from many directions. Once a marine attempted to strike at her backside, Belle side-steps to the left and caught the marine's arm with her right hand.

"Wrong move," Belle said before she decked the marine in the face with a roundhouse punch with her left fist sending him crashing across the ground knocking him out.

"Damn you!" Shouted another marine as he and the other marine beside him attempted to slash Belle with their swords at the same time; however, the snarky girl they were attacking disappeared.

"What?!" One of the marines asked in shock.

"Up there!" A marine shouted as they moved their attention above them to see the girl had jumped before the swords struck.

She landed on the swords pinning them to the ground and smirked at their wielders, who were struggling to lift them off the ground. With two swift kicks to the face, the girl knocked both marines out with ease.

"You bitch..." A marine growled as he saw the muscular marine getting up and rushing towards the girl from behind. He pulled out an assault rifle, "Try and dodge this!"

"Oh I don't need to," The girl said before she heard the muscular trying to attack her with a cleave from his dual axe from behind and blocked it with her right arm.

As the bullets shot out of the assault rifle, the girl stretched out her left arm and opened her left palm, "Kesshō Kesshō no: Reflection!" She shouted.

Before the bullets reached her, purple crystals sprouted from the palm of her left hand and reflected them right back at the marine leader. The bullets barely grazed his body, but not before leaving a few scratch marks on his cheeks.

"What the hell?!" The marine exclaimed as he saw the girl's body grew the same purple crystals on its skin.

"Was I supposed to be intimidated?" The girl asked the marine as she moved her attention back onto the muscular and dragged him around until he was right in front of the marine with the assault rifle. Still holding his axe back with her right arm, she stretched her left arm back as it embedded itself in purple crystal, "Kesshō Kesshō no: Drill!" She shouted as she punched the muscular marine in the gut with her crystallized fist and sent him flying and spinning crashing him right into the other marine.

 _"Good job, Belle,"_ Said the worried boy's voice on Belle's Den Den Mushi, _"Looks like we don't need to worry about you after all."_

 _"More of them are on the way,"_ Said the timid boy's voice, _"Oh no…the marines are planning on closing off the entire island! You have to hurry, Belle!"_

"Where to next?" Belle asked.

 _"Jump off the rooftop and go through the second floor window,"_ Said the timid boy's voice.

Belle did exactly as told and jumped off the roof as if she was going to land directly on the ground. Next, she extends her crystal enveloped arm onto the building to stop her momentum right next to a window of the second floor and broke through the glass with a kick. Belle found that she was inside a room full of different equipment for the theater.

"I'm inside the equipment room," Belle said, "Where next?"

 _"You should be able to get out past the observation room,"_ The timid voice said.

"Got it," Belle said as she quietly exited the equipment room and snuck her way past the observation room.

"Where'd she go, dammit?" The marine's in the distant room Belle passed asked.

"Keep searching," Another marine said, "Check the hallways and equipment rooms! She couldn't have left the building yet."

"She's not alone!" Shouted a marine from the observation room ordering the other marine soldiers, "Find them and arrest them immediately!"

"Almost there…" Belle said before she started hearing faint footsteps from where she came from causing her to move as fast as she could towards the exit, "Tch! More of them?"

Belle arrived on top of a balcony of another audience chamber that is located on the second floor surrounded by several glass windows.

 _"Something wrong, Ms. Belle?"_ The timid voice asked, _"The exit should be up ahead."_

"So I have to jump out of this building to escape?" Belle asked.

 _"That's how it is,"_ The calm female voice said, _"After that commotion, the bottom floor has been completely closed off."_

 _"Think you can make it, Belle?"_ Asked the calm male voice.

"Heh, you forgot who you were talking to?" Belle asked rhetorically.

"Over there!" A voice shouted from behind Belle.

"Shoot!" Belle cursed.

A whole squad of marines has caught up to her.

"Hands where we can see them!" A marine shouted with all of their guns pointed at her.

Belle smirked as she jumped off the balcony and ran straight through the audience chairs. Once she reached the windows, she saw the marines trying desperately catch up to her and smirked, "Sayonara, slow pokes~!" She chimed before she jumped straight through the glass windows in a stylish fashion.

 _"Tch, show off,"_ Said the irritated boy's voice.

 _"You can be so reckless sometimes, you know that?"_ The deep male's voice asked sarcastically.

Below Belle were a set of bubbles floating in the air.

"Good, they're around at night," Belle said as she landed on each of the bubbles one by one until she landed safely on the ground. It seemed that the mission went off without a hitch; however, the area Belle was standing on lit up with dozens of lights that blinded her.

 _"What?!"_ Shouted the worried boy's voice.

 _"Th-they're…already here?!"_ Asked the timid boy's voice.

 _"That can't be!"_ Shouted the bubbly girl's voice.

 _"They knew of Belle's escape route too,"_ Said the mature female's voice.

"You're surrounded, pirate!" Shouted a marine. When Belle's eyes adjusted to the bright lights, she saw that she was surrounded by a mob of marines.

 _"Belle, are you going to be okay?!"_ Asked the worried boy's voice.

"Surrender immediately, pirate!" A marine ordered, "You are to be brought in for questioning of your crimes."

"Crimes?" Belle asked, letting out an amused chuckle, "That's where you all are wrong. Come on and take me in, if you have the guts!"

"Do not resist us, Monkey D. Belle," Said a calm yet intimidating voice.

Belle's eyes widen in slight fear, "Damnit…him again?"

 _"Belle, get out of there now!"_ Shouted the worried boy's voice, _"It's—"_

"I know," Belle said, "Stick to the plan. Get out of here now."

 _"But—"_

"I said, go!" Belle shouted, "That's an order!" Before she deactivated her Den Den Mushi, she heard the sound of frustrated growl coming from the voice she spoke to.

After a few seconds of silence, Belle spun around and created a huge shield made out of her purple crystals readying for a massive attack.

Everything went dark for her.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~10 Days Later: Unknown Location~~_

"Heh, guess the Admiral's attack was too strong," A voice said.

Belle was beginning to regain consciousness and barely heard the voice of a man. Her body was in absolute pain as if she was smashed against the ground by a strong force.

"Out for ten whole days from one attack," Said the man's voice, "Wake her up!"

A few seconds after those words, Belle's face got hit with a sudden splash of cold water causing her to open her eyes agitated. She got a little hold of her bearings and scanned the dark room she was in with two male marines staring at her with cold glares.

"No dozing off," Said one of the marines.

Belle look at her own body to see she was sitting on a chair with black, steel chains wrapped around her body and her arms tied behind her back with hand sealing cuffs attached to her.

"Heh, a little overkill…don't you think…" Belle said with a half smile, half wince at the pain on her beaten face.

"You still making jokes, huh?" A pissed marine asked, "Learn your place, scum!" He shouted before he kick Belle square in the face knocking her down on the ground along with her chair.

The pissed marine picked her back up by her hair, "You better cooperate with us. Or do you want another kick to the face because there's plenty more where that came from."

"First question: Where did you send your other crewmates?" The other marine asked.

"…" Belle remained quiet. She refuses tell them anything about her crew.

"Didn't you hear his question?!" The pissed marine asked, slamming Belle's face onto the ground and kicking her in the gut, "Answer!"

Belle coughed out a small amount of blood because of the sudden impact to her abdomen.

"That'll be enough," The other marine said as he took out a clip board, "Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of illegal weapons…and multiple counts of manslaughter, no doubt."

"Quite the list of crimes, and to think all of them were lead by a punk like this," The pissed marine said, "How did it feel taking a life from someone? I bet it was exhilarating to you. I can tell you're that kind of criminal. The kind of criminal who deserves nothing less than a public execution."

"However, your execution shall be done in silence in this room," The other marine explained, "I advise you take this time to think on your crimes while the higher ups send the executioner."

The pissed marine picked Belle and her chair back up into the regular sitting position, "Don't expect your journey to hell to be a pleasant one," The man said, "We are going to make you understand one must take full responsibility for their actions." After speaking those words, the marines left the room and Belle alone.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~2 Days Later~~_

A man with long, brown hair wearing a red samurai outfit under his high ranked marine cloak was walking down the dark hallway only to be stopped by three marine officers.

"Sorry, but this area's off limits to—," The marine's eyes widened in shock for a split second upon seeing the man and he immediately saluted.

"At ease," The man said.

"Second Fleet Admiral Tsushima?" The marine officer asked, "What brings you here?"

"An urgent matter," The man named Tsushima said, "There's something I need to confirm with Monkey D. Belle."

"With all due respect, sir," The marine officer said, "You don't have the authority to enter that room."

"Me, the second in command of the Marine Force, not having enough authority," Tsushima muttered, "As I suspected…"

That was when Tsushima's Den Den Mushi started to ring. When he picked up on the call, he heard the sounds of an annoyed man's sigh on the other side.

" _I thought I ordered you to stand by, Tsushima,"_ The man's voice said on the other line.

"You gave me full responsibility of this case, but I'm not being allowed an interrogation?!" Tsushima asked.

" _I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up."_

"I will not be convinced unless I confirm it for myself," Tsushima said, "This is _my_ case."

Another sigh came from the man on the other line, _"Good luck to you then. I won't be expecting much though."_

After Tsushima finished his call, the marine spoke up, "Mr. Tsushima, you will be allowed an interrogation; however, your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk with her for long."

"I see…" Tsushima said with a suspicious glare written on his face.

"It's for your own sake," The marine clarified, "Even with the Sea Stone cuffs we placed, we're unsure if it is safe to simply speak with her, given her...unique nature."

"…I understand," Tsushima said as he went through the door and entered the room with only a single table and two chairs. Belle sat on the other side of the table looking as if she is about to pass out. Tsushima had an expression of pity on his face as he sat down on his chair, "Belle…"

"Jurabi…" Belle replied.

"I didn't think it would be you," Jurabi said, closing his eyes to think.

"Well…everyone started suspecting us after a while," Belle said.

"Yes and everyone says you and your crew are the ones responsible," Jurabi replied.

"You too?" Belle asked.

"No," Jurabi said, "Not yet, at least. There are a number of things bothering me surrounding this whole case."

"Are they?" Belle asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes," Jurabi said with a nod, "To that end, you'll be answering my questions this time," He glanced over at the empty syringe on the floor, "They drugged you too? To think they would go that far to inflict that level of pain on a girl…"

"Listen…you're better off asking the people who…questioned me yesterday," Belle said, "Because what I told them…is all I'm going to tell you."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Jurabi asked, "Especially when I'm the one going at this with a clear head unlike everyone else? The Marines, the World Government, everyone wants you and your crew dead, but I want to know your side of the story. I might be the only one with the power to save your life. You are going to be executed in this room, after all. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either."

"…" Belle stayed quiet after his statement.

"Now concerning with the incident, what was your main objective?" Jurabi asked, "And why accomplish it by causing such a major uproar throughout the world? For a bunch of people who only want the fun in sailing through the Grandline, it's odd you would do something that would end with you, the captain, as one of the 10 most wanted people in the entire world. That's the part that bugs me."

"Of course it bugs you, Jurabi…" Belle said, "You're the only one in the Marine force…who knows me and my crew."

"True," Jurabi said, "At least you're coherent, but I would like it if you actually answered my questions. First, let's start from the beginning and be sure to tell me everything. Don't leave out a single detail, understand?"

" _I still…can vaguely remember…"_ Belle thought as she felt pain on her head. The drugs she was injected with were causing a side effect making her memories slowly play through her head. _"My…adventure…My…crew…"_

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Unknown~~_

"Merry," Said an orange-haired girl standing in front of a gravestone decorated in flowers. On the gravestone were the words "In memory of Monkey D. Merry, a pure-hearted soul who brightened the lives of those around her." The orange-haired girl reached out towards the gravestone with her right hand and rubbed its rough edges affectionately before she declared to the soul underneath the soil, "I promise you...no...I swear to you I will achieve my goal no matter what it takes."

She moved her attention up at the starry, night sky above the vast, silent, blue sea. She took in a deep breath before breathing out slowly. She took out a piece of paper, "Find four more crewmates and head to the Auntie Kaya's for a surprise…Okay Dad. These are some weird instructions to give to your daughter, but I'll do it! Shishi, I can't wait for the surprise~! Time for me, to get my fun adventure started!"

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 **Jurabi: Meet Monkey D. Belle, everyone. As you may have already guess, yes she is Luffy and Nami's daughter. For those of you who have read the last this, you may have noticed that Belle's Devil Fruit is different. That's because I reworked it.**

 **So a quick history lesson for those new, in the last version of this story, Belle's Devil Fruit was a Mythical Zoan where she could transform into an Ice Dragon. Sounds cool, right? Well yes, but there was a problem: I realized that Belle's Ice Dragon power completely contradicts a statement from the canon One Piece story. If you look back at the Marineford War Arc, one of the marine admirals commented on Marco's Pheonix Mythical Zoan Fruit saying that "Mythical Zoans are the rarest types of Devil Fruits in existence."**

 **What is the problem with this, you ask? Well Belle's Dragon Mode Fruit, which is a Mythical Zoan, has an ice element to it. That alone signifies that there are other Dragon Mythical Zoan Fruits of different elements, thus contradicting the statement of their rarity. When it comes to stories like this where I start off from canon itself, I am extremely OCD about making sure not to contradict canon, which is why I reworked her abilities.**

 **Now I'm sure most of you are probably unhappy about and well...I'm sorry. Sometimes, good ideas just don't work out and you have to go brainstorm something else entirely. I'm sure this isn't the first change I've made that will annoy you, but I'm ready to handle that. If you have any concerns about what I am doing or how I am going about this, you might as well speak now so we can get this cleared off.**

 **If you feel like you don't want to follow this story anymore, I completely understand. There are people here who have submitted their OC on the first day I made this story and are STILL waiting for their OC's appearance. I'm bullshitting a lot of people by doing this and I completely understand if you don't want to follow my story anymore.**

 **Now as for some of you who are new, you have a chance to submit your OC if you so desire. I've checked on the number of available spots that have yet to be taken. While it may seem like it's sealed for Belle's crew, it actually isn't.**

 **I'm currently missing a few OC's for the crew: a helmsman and a scout.**

 **For the marines, all except the Admiral positions are available, and for the Yonkou, I haven't decided yet. I will get back to you once I've figured out what I want to do with them.**

 **For the Shichibukai, I might have some spots available right now depending on if some of the people who submitted their OC's for the spots still want their OC's there. The one thing that concerns me is that some of the people who submitted their OC's stopped reading my story. If you are one of those people, please contact me if you still want your OC's in their spots; otherwise, I'll have to give up those spots to other people if they want it.**

 **The Supernovas are spots I haven't touched on. So counting Belle, there will be four Supernovas, and I think I already have Belle and another Supernova so that leaves two spots opened. In order to get the supernova spot, you'll need to give their entire crew as well.**

 **Villain OC's, I'm quite particular with these. First, you need to make a good villain OC if you want to and second you'll have to make an arc of that villain OC. For the arc, all I need is just a summary of what happens during the arc and what the villain's goal and motivations are.**

 **Due to the vast variety of OC types, I don't have a template for you, unfortunately. So however you want to submit your OC, I'll accept as long as it is in P.M.'s, not anon or review. I would really appreciate it if you did that.**

 **Okay...I've dragged this out long enough. So again, I'm sorry that I am doing this, but as a writer I still have some things to improve on. I really hope that you'll give me this one last chance if you can only do just that. Thank you everyone for reading my story. I really hope you enjoyed this short chapter. There are four more introduction chapters until we get started with the main story.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	2. Intro Arc Chp 2: Yoshino Hoshida

**Jurabi: Heeeeelloooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion here bringing you the second chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates, and first of all, I have to thank everyone who is in support of this 4th rewrite and thank you for understanding that I had to do this. I'm also glad that most of you took Belle's devil fruit change really well. I'm not the best at beginnings, but I am getting better at writing. I hope these recent chapters are proof of that. So please, enjoy this next character introduction.**

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 **Intro Arc Chp. 2: Yoshino Hoshida**

 _~~Kaori Island: Yajirishi Forest~~_

As Monkey D. Belle makes her way to Chikai Island, a calm mind is currently training on the aromatic isle of Kaori, an island consisting of two towns separated by a dense forest known as Yajirushi Forest. Deep inside the Yajirushi Forest lied a small, two-man dojo. Outside of the front doors of this dojo was a boy meditating on his knees.

The boy had auburn-brown hair tied by a red ribbon into a single, long ponytail reaching to his mid back. He wore a black, sleeveless, battle kimono over a black, collared shirt. His arms were fitted with brown, arm guards, and on his hands were black, fingerless gloves. His waist area was tied up by a black waist guard held up by an animal's leathering extending to the back of his knees. Leg guards are also present on top of his black, leather pants along with his blue, knee-length boots. On his left side was a white, curvy bow with no string in the middle of the curved area.

The brown-haired boy continued to meditate on the grass with his knees touching the ground. It looked like he was going to sit there for as long as he pleased; unfortunately, that wasn't the case. An arrow shot from his right side from the forest. The boy easily dodged the arrow with his eyes still closed, but he opened them revealing their brown color.

"So the test has begun," The boy said as he quickly picked up his bow with his left hand. When he did, a blue line made of an unknown energy was made and connected with the bow's curves. He pulled onto the string and it formed an arrow energized in the same way as the string. "Hawk Shot." When he shot the arrow in the direction the last arrow came from, it formed into the shape of a hawk. Once the hawk arrow reached the area the attack originated, it shattered into pieces, reflecting off the sun brightening the area covered in shadows.

The Hawk Shot revealed a black-haired man who wore an outfit indicating he was a skilled archer who carried a white bow in his hands.

"You are not the first assassin sent to kill me in these series of tests," The brown-haired boy said to the man, "And you will not be the last."

"Bold words, Yoshino Hoshida," The archer said, "But I am well aware of your skills. You may think of this as a test, but in the ways of the Hoshida clan, there are no tests: only battles where the warriors and the weak-willed are decided."

"Let us decide here and now," Yoshino said as he pulled on his bow, "Volley!" He shouted as he fired nine arrows in a cone-shaped formation in the archer's direction.

The archer dodged the the attack and, in response, shot three red, bomb arrows, which were made to explode on contact, towards Yoshino.

"Soul Shot," Yoshino said. In the blink of an eye, three of Yoshino's arrows were shot at the archer's arrows destroying them.

"Impressive," The archer said as he took out three green arrows and shot them towards Yoshino.

Yoshino saw the arrows curve around out of the corner of his eyes before he closed them to focus, "Ranger's Focus." He opened his eyes, which changed from a brown color to an ocean blue color, and drew back on his bow. Once the three arrows were closing in on his left, right, and front-center, Yoshino released the bow, which separated into three more arrows clashing with the archer's arrows. Before he could let the archer retaliate, Yoshino continued with his Ranger's Focus and fired a flurry of five arrows.

The archer put his bow behind his back and took out two daggers. With those daggers, he easily deflected the arrow flurries. Once he saw Yoshino's Ranger's Focus had worn off, with his eye color returning to normal serving as an indication, the archer rushed towards Yoshino to initiate close combat.

"Have a calm mind, Yoshino," Yoshino whispered as he drew the arrow on his bow charging up a huge arrow, "Inhale and exhale, aaaaaaand...fire. Enchanted Soul Arrow!" Yoshino shot the large soul arrow straight at his enemy.

"Wrong move," The archer said as he jumped over the arrow.

"Those are my words, sir," Yoshino said as he stretched out his right arm, bow in hand, and moved it as if he was pulling something towards him.

The archer looked around and saw the large arrow Yoshino had shot at circled back around at command. However, before the arrow could make impact, Yoshino stopped it right at the archer's chest.

"...How was that, Grandfather?" Yoshino asked with a smile on his face.

"As I thought, Yoshino," The archer said, "You are ready." A puff of smoke enveloped the archer's body making him go unseen for a short period of time. Once the smoke had cleared, it revealed an old man who wore a simple, black robe contrasted with his long grey beard. His eyes slightly white indicating the man possessed blindness.

"Grandfather, did you really have to test me for the third time?" Yoshino asked as he made his giant arrow disappear and lowered his bow.

"It was necessary, Yoshino," Yoshino's grandfather said as he walked towards him, "The Fujin Yumi is a—"

"A weapon only the worthy members of the Hoshida family can use," Yoshino interrupted, "You've told me this countless times, grandfather."

"And I would have continued to remind you should you have failed this final test," His grandfather replied, "But now, I know full well you are ready to use the Fujin Yumi for the good of all as your father did."

"Grandfather…" Yoshino said.

"Do you remember what you wish to do with the Fujin Yumi, my grandson?" His grandfather asked.

"I do," Yoshino said, "I want to travel to Yumiya Island and restore our family's honor. I owe you, Mom, Dad, and Luka that much."

"Good," His grandfather said as his hand glowed brightly.

"Grandpa?" Yoshino asked as he looked at his glowing grandfather with fear.

"No need to worry, Yoshino," His grandfather said as he sat down, "It appears my time has come."

"No," Yoshino said.

"Yoshino, I have one last request," His grandfather said, "Take the remaining energy my soul will leave behind. It is not much, but I am your teacher and any chance to make your stronger are chances I will take."

"Grandpa...you can't do this," Yoshino said as tears fell down his eyes, "You can't leave me!"

"I will not, Yoshino," His grandfather said as his body faded away, "For I will live on inside of the weapon you cherish."

"Grandpa!" Yoshino shouted as he saw the last trace of his grandfather vanished. The boy's knees fell onto the ground; his tears hitting the dirt he stared at.

30 minutes passed after his grandfather passed on, Yoshino looked up at the area where the old man last sat and saw an orb of glowing light. He stood back up and walked towards the glowing light, "Grandpa...I won't let you down. Your power, Mom's power, Dad's power, and Luka's power are now my power." He said as he activated the Fujin Yumi and absorbed the remaining soul energy his grandfather left behind.

Yoshino made a grave for his grandfather and placed it beside the grave of his mother, father, and little sister. After praying to the gods for their safe journey to the afterlife, Yoshino packed up all the necessities he needed and left Yajirushi Forest behind.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Hachimitsu Town~~_

Yoshino traveled through Yajirushi Forest for some time until he happened upon Hachimitsu town.

This town was once well-known for its bountiful supply of honey. Because of the aromatic air existing on Kaori Island, bees come to the island in droves building countless nests making them a valuable source of honey. All of that, however, died out when a tragedy took place ten years ago when Yoshino's sister, Luka, died and his mother followed. After the tragedy, Kaori Island turned dull, gray, and lifeless; furthermore, it only got worse from there.

As Yoshino walked down the town walkway and looked around, he saw depressed people everywhere. The people he once called "overly happy" back when he was a kid were no longer talking to each other, and what was worse was they all looked to be in severe internal pain.

"Y-Yoshino…?" A voice asked from behind.

Yoshino turned around and saw a blonde-haired woman stumbling weakly towards him. The woman had light-blue eyes. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore a white t-shirt under a mid-length, black, leather jacket, blue pants, and brown sandals.

"Sonya," Yoshino said as he grabbed a hold of the girl before she fell.

"I-Is that Yoshino?" A black-haired townsman asked when he noticed Yoshino. He alerted everyone in town, "HEY EVERYONE! YOSHINO'S BACK!"

It did not take long before there were a crowd of people gathering around Yoshino also looking like they were in pain as well.

"Everyone," Yoshino said. "I hope I didn't take too long."

"Y-Yoshino...i-it's getting worse," Sonya cried in pain.

"Let me see," Yoshino said as he took a look at Sonya's right arm and saw green fish scales were forming on her skin, "Damn...it's actually showing on the body already?"

"That's right," Said a red-haired townswoman who was carrying her sleeping baby, "The kids aren't able to get out of bed because of this awful curse!"

"It's that damn siren witch's fault!" An angry, blond-haired townsman shouted, "What did we do to deserve this?!"

"Yeah...if only Mrs. Sango were still here..." Said a townsman, who appeared to have suffered an injury to the eye, as the people became sad at the mention of Yoshino's mother, Sango Hoshida.

"I-If we don't do something soon,we all be turned into-"

"No, I won't let that happen!" Yoshino declared interrupting the townsman's despair-filled comment with confidence as he showed everyone the Fujin Yumi, "I've completed my training with my grandpa, and now the Fujin Yumi is mine to use as I see fit."

Everyone looked at the Fujin Yumi with amazed expression as the light of hope was being reborn within each of them.

"I know my mother would not have stood for this to happen to her loved ones, and why I won't allow this to continue!" Yoshino declared.

"But how are you going to save us?" The mother townswoman asked.

"...I know you may not like this, but before I went off to train with my grandfather...I...pulled some strings," Yoshino said.

"Wait, what do you mean, Yoshino?" Sonya asked.

"Listen, all I can say is the only way I can help you is if I get something to the siren witch who did this to all of us," Yoshino said. "And to do that, I have to leave this island and sail around the South Blue to find it."

"What?!" The town shouted in shock.

"There's no way in hell you can survive out there on your own, Yoshino!" The black-haired townsman shouted.

"Yeah, it's far too dangerous even with your training done," The scarred townsman argued.

"Please, can you instead try and fight these monsters?" The mother townswoman asked, "Your grandfather couldn't beat them, but we believe you can."

"Again, I'm sorry," Yoshino said, "But...I already tried to do that before all of this, and it didn't work out. As a result, we all lost a good friend."

"Yoshino…" Sonya said.

"I have to go now," Yoshino said before he smiled, "But don't worry. I will come back and all of you will be better: I'm sure of it." He said before he walked towards the dock to leave the island.

"Yoshino, wait!" Sonya shouted as she ran after him.

"What is it, Sonya?" Yoshino asked.

"You have it too, don't you?" Sonya asked as Yoshino's silence ensured she was right, "Please, don't push yourself. We lost too much now to lose you too."

Yoshino smiled and nodded, "I will. Thank you for the concern. Goodbye, everyone."

And with everyone's blessings, Yoshino sailed off to search for a way to save his home. When he was a good distance away from the island, he slightly took off his right arm sleeves and saw the fish scales were growing on his right arm. "Ten days," He said, "I have ten days to steal the artifact called The Mizu Blade from the prime minister of Chikai Island. If I don't, everyone I love including myself will become slaves for pirates…" He said as he took on a face of determination, "I won't let that happen."

* * *

 **Jurabi: Meet Yoshino Hoshida. He's one of the two characters I created.**

 **There are three character introducing chapters left until we get into the main story. Thank you all again for the support. I really appreciate it.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	3. Intro Arc Chp 3: Sakuya Reevus

**Jurabi: Heeeellooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion here to bring you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates.**

 **First off, sorry for the long absence. College has been a pain for a while and I've been getting exhausted here or there. I've been wanting to write this for so long, but I just couldn't get to it when I needed to. So, again, sorry for the delay. I am really hoping to get the rest of the 5 main cast introduced hopefully by the end of November or around December after my college finals. College is frustrating, I know.**

 **Anyways, thank you for waiting and enjoy the next main character introduction.**

* * *

 **Intro Arc Chp 3: Sakuya Reevus**

 _~~Navie Island~~_

As Monkey D. Belle and Yoshino Hoshida make their way to Chikai Island, on a wide, huge island called Navie Island, which had skyscrapers and a thriving population of people, a little boy and girl at a big water fountain at the center of the island. At the center of the circle was a girl sitting on the edge of the fountain.

The girl had long, purple hair reaching down to the middle of her back. Her eyes had an icey blue color to them, almost chilling enough to send shivers down one's spine. Above her left eye was a small flesh wound. One unnatural feature the girl had was her ears were longer than a human's. Her ears on her right ear lied a diamond, stud earring shining off the light of the sun. She wore a dark-purple tank top under a white jacket, black pants and brown combat boots.

"Aw...so you really are leaving us, Miss Sakuya?" A brown haired boy asked feeling heartbroken.

"I'm sorry, Tatsumi," The girl named Sakuya said, "But I'm afraid this will be my last session with all of you." She said as she got bombarded with sad faces from all the children.

"But what are we gonna do without you?" A blonde haired girl asked with a worried expression.

Sakuya gently placed her hands on the two children's heads and gave a warm smile. "Tatsumi, Annette, don't feel bad. I promise once I finish my business out in the sea, I'll come back to have more fun with you two. Again, thank you both for keeping me happy during my short time here."

"It's no problem," Annette said, "Thank you for always telling us wonderful stories."

"Hey, can you tell that story again?" Tatsumi asked excitedly.

"That story?" Sakuya asked thinking about what Tatsumi could be talking about until it came to her, "Oh, are you talking about the story of when I fought against my dark side?"

"Yeah, that's my favorite story!" Tatsumi said as he jumped up and down thrilled to hear the story again.

"That was my favorite too," Annette said, "Please~! Can you tell us that story again with that song too?"

"Oh wow, I've only been here for three days. I didn't think that story out of all others would be the one to catch my interest," Sakuya said in surprise before she smiled, "Kids can be surprising."

"So will you?" Tatsumi asked.

"Okay, I'll tell you the story again," Sakuya said before she watched the kids squeal in excitement, "Settle down now." When the kids calmed down and focused entirely on what Sakuya has to say next, she closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

 **Mirror, Mirror**

Once she reopened her mouth, she sang in the most beautiful voice the kids have ever heard. Her voice left a soothing feeling warming their hearts and the hearts of the people around them.

 **Mirror, tell me something**

 **Tell me who's the loneliest of all?**

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Sakuya's Heart~~_

 _Sakuya stood alone in utter darkness unsure of where she was or how she got there. One thing she was sure of, however, is she was about to face a strong opponent. Inside the darkness, Sakuya could make out the silhouette of another girl resembling her almost to perfection._

" _My darkness…" Sakuya said as she took a fighting stance with her her palms opened and her feet in an initiation position. "Today I will cast you away from my life forever."_

 _The dark Sakuya, covered in nothing but shadows, looked at the girl with her evil, red eyes, "Do you truly belong with them?"_

" _That won't work on me!" Sakuya shouted as she rushed towards Dark Sakuya determined to put an end to it. She jumped up into the air and performed a spinning kick onto Dark Sakuya._

 _However, Dark Sakuya jumped out of the way and prepared to counterattack with her own spinning kick._

" _Coup de Rapide (French language for Swift Kick)!" Sakuya screamed as she executed a swift kick to exchange blows with Dark Sakuya's attack._

 **Mirror, tell me something**

 **Tell me who's the loneliest of all?**

" _Frappe Nerveuse (French: Nerve Strike)!" Sakuya shouted as she hit Dark Sakuya's left leg with a swift, palm strike. When Dark Sakuya fumbled as a result, Sakuya took the chance to prepare her heavy attack._

" _Are you truly not the monster the stories make you out to be?" Dark Sakuya asked._

" _32 Frappe des Palmiers (French: 32 Palm Strike)!" Sakuya yelled as she unleashed exactly 32 palm strikes on key areas of Dark Sakuya such as the chest, shoulders, knees, and hips. On the final palm strike, Sakuya hit the chest area firmly and sent Dark Sakuya flying._

 **Mirror, what's inside me?**

 **Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?**

 _32 Coup de Pied (French: 32 Kick Barrage)!" Sakuya shouted as she unleashed exactly 32 kicks onto Dark Sakuya's body._

" _Ask yourself, me," Dark Sakuya said as she stopped Sakuya's barrage by turning into shadows and disappearing._

" _What?!" Sakuya exclaimed in shock before she turned around and saw Dark Sakuya appear._

" _Do you truly care for the world and its people?" Dark Sakuya asked before she instantly kicked Sakuya up into the air._

" _Ah!" Sakuya screamed feeling the pain on her chin._

 _Dark Sakuya jumped up in the air above Sakuya and hit her other version with a swift kick to the head sending her crashing down into the floor. When the dark being landed beside the downed girl, she asked, "Does both your fake family truly love you?"_

 _Water formed around the real Sakuya's body. "I already told you…" She said as she stood back up with nothing but a flesh wound on the left side of her face, blood dripping down forcing her to close her left eye. "I've made peace with who I am. I am Sakuya Reevus, a siren girl who has accepted the fact she is an adopted child of Black Leg Sanji and Viola. I've accepted them as my real parents as they have me as their daughter. Your words don't frighten me anymore!" Sakuya declared as she prepared to end her darkside with one fatal blow, "Frappe des Palmiers à Eau (French: Water Palm Strike)!" She shouted as she unleashed 32 palm strikes infused with water._

 **Mirror, mirror, what's behind you?**

 **Save me from the things I see!**

 **I can keep it from the world**

 **Why won't you let me hide from me?**

 _After Sakuya's 32nd strike onto Dark Sakuya, the siren kicked her dark side up onto the air, "Coup de Pied D'eau (32 Water Kick Barrage)!" She shouted as she unleashed 32 consecutive water induced kick barrages onto her dark side. "Coup de Rapide!" She hit Dark Sakuya with another swift kick attack sending her dark side crashing into the ground. This was Sakuya's chance to finish it._

 **Mirror, mirror, tell me something**

 **Tell me who's the loneliest of all?**

" _Now...DISAPPEAR FOREVER! 64 Attaque de Toutes (French: 64 All Out Siren Attack)!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as she unleashed a full, 64 attack onto Dark Sakuya, 32 from palm strikes and 32 from kicks. This caused the dark area to crack as small sparks of light shined between the cracks. And on the 64th strike towards Dark Sakuya's chest, the entire area shattered turning into a room of white light. The bright light caused Dark Sakuya to slowly, but surely disappear into dust._

 **I'm the loneliest of all**

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Island~~_

Back in reality, Sakuya had finished her song. When she opened her eyes, she saw a crowd of people all applauding her singing.

"What a lovely voice you have," A blonde haired woman said.

"You could make a living off of singing with that kind of singing, girl," A black haired man said.

"Th-thank you," Sakuya said, "I didn't think people liked my singing for the past few days."

"Are you serious?" Annette asked with an excited smile on their face, "People in town wouldn't stop talking about you and your amazing singing."

"Yeah, they only wanted to give you the space you needed," Tatsumi said, "It was only until Annette and I told them you were leaving today everyone decided to show up for your last song for the island."

Sakuya's face turned red at the thought of an entire island's population hearing her sing on all three days she's resided in it. "O-oh my...I-I don't know what to say...other than thank you."

"Miss Sakuya, promise all of us you'll come back to sing for us again," Tatsumi demanded.

"Promise?" Sakuya asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Yeah, you don't know what a promise is?" Annette asked.

"A promise is...something like a vow or an oath," Tatsumi explained.

"I see," Sakuya said before she stood up and gave everyone around her a smile, "I promise. I'll come back to sing a whole new song for you to hear."

"Yaaaay~!" Tatsumi and Annette both cheered in excitement.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Docks~~_

Sakuya was on her way to the docks where her ship awaits. Alongside her was a petite, old man.

"Now, Mayor Apollo, are you wholeheartedly sure you don't need my help with the pirate problem as of late?" Sakuya asked with concern.

"I appreciate your offer of support, Sakuya; however, we can't find it in our hearts to send someone as precious as you to your death."

"But-"

"Besides…" Mayor Apollo interrupted the siren girl, "You have a goal you want to see through, yes?"

Sakuya's eyes widened in shock, "H-how do you know that?"

"Hehe, your song today was the biggest giveaway," Mayor Apollo explained, "You seek something, Sakuya. Despite being surrounded by people your heart still feels empty. Whatever is bothering you, I know you you'll be able to overcome it during your journey."

"Thank you, Mayor," Sakuya said as they arrived at Sakuya's small, one-man boat.

"Anytime, Sakuya," Mayor Apollo said as he watched Sakuya jump onto the boat, "Know that you are always welcomed here on Navie Island."

"I will," Sakuya said as she sailed away from the island. "And again, thank you"

"Hey, Miss Sakuya!" Tatsumi shouted from the island road arriving in time to see the girl leave with Annette.

"Please remember your promise!" Annette shouted with a smile."

"BYEEEE!" The two kids shouted as they waved goodbye.

Sakuya smiles and waved back before yelling, "Don't worry, I won't!"

Once Navie was out of her sight, Sakuya looked up at the blue sky, "I'm all alone again…" She muttered before she smacked both her cheeks, "No, Sakuya! You've grown out of that poor thinking. Now is the time to find your siren family and your home island…"

Sakuya let out an oddly bubbly smile with a blush on her face and took out a magazine from her bag, which was also filled with nothing but more magazines. The magazine was titled "Top 20 Hottest Men" and was filled with many things that would make a woman fall head over heels in love from boys in suits to boys wearing military uniforms to boys in swimming trunks showing their 6 packs.

All of these and more pleased Sakuya as her ice blue eyes turned into pink hearts at the sight of the hot men,"Oooh~! All of them are sooo dreamy~! And the next Boy Handsome event is gonna be on Chikai Island. Am I a lucky siren or what?! Wait for me, my beloved princes, your siren princess is coming!" Sakuya declares as she makes her way to Chikai Island.

* * *

 **Jurabi: And that's the chapter. I know, it was shorter than the last two. I wouldn't put it past myself that I might make the next one even shorter...but at least that one I have a cool idea for.**

 **I'm sure you have noticed, but so far Belle and Sakuya have been shouting the names of their attacks in a different language from English. Here, Sakuya spoke French while Belle spoke Japanese. Only one more character will have this similar thing except they will speak in another language.**

 **I don't actually have a legit reason for doing this. I'm just having fun with the story and I hope that's okay with you guys. So what did you think of the song Sakuya sung? Sounds familiar? Well if you are not aware of the song, it is called Mirror Mirror from Rooster Teeth's popular animated show, RWBY.**

 **Originally when I wrote this introduction, I was going to change Sakuya's outfit to be based off of Weiss Schnee, a character from RWBY; however, there was a problem with the skirt portion of the outfit. Yeah...Sakuya's fighting style and skirts never match well.**

 **Speaking of, Sakuya is a Siren. Let me explain about those since another person gave me a Siren OC and she was so awesome that I changed Sakuya from originally being human into a Siren! In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. While how people back then drew art of the Sirens varied a lot, the concept of sirens remained the same: they are deadly creatures. They lure male sailors deep into their lair or territory with their beauty and compelling singing, and then they both their body and soul. At least that's how I interpreted the pictures after googling them.**

 **Now is Sakuya like that? Hard to answer correctly. What do I mean by that? That's up to you to theorize about.**

 **One more thing, I've decided on the two remaining spots for Belle's crew. The OC's sent to me were all interesting...but I can only choose two! I'll make my final decision in the next chapter.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	4. Intro Arc Chp 4: Roronoa Kaisetsu

**Jurabi: Heeeeeeeelloooooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion here bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Sorry I was gone for two months...I had college work to do and I just wanted to get good grades for the semester so...I had to neglect a few things. I was working on this on the side, but I wasn't able to complete it until now, so my apologies for the delay. As I said last chapter, I will announce the final two member submissions, so please wait until the end of this chapter.**

 **Anyways, thank you for waiting and enjoy the next main character introduction.**

* * *

 **Roronoa Kaisetsu**

 _~~Serket Island~~_

As Monkey D. Belle, Yoshino Hoshida, and Sakuya Reevus sail their way to Chikai Island, on an island populated by criminals and slavers known as Serket Island, a black haired girl walked through the streets of the island, her eyes constantly looking around as if she was searching for something or someone.

The girl's black hair reached to her torso area with her bangs framing her face with two strands reaching down to the middle of her shoulders. She also wore two diamond earrings on both of her ears. Her intimidating eyes were black and her skin was light colored giving her a beautiful complexion. The outfit she wore consisted of a purple, leather robe dress stopping at her knees, a silver breastplate, shoulder pads of similar quality, thin, white arm warmers on both of her arms, white gloves on the knuckle side of her hand and black on the palm side, and armored, thigh-high boots. Over her purple dress was a brown belt with silver buckles along with a small pouch. Strapped on her left side hip was a katana with a purple hilt resting inside its purple sheath.

The black haired girl stopped when she reached a building called "Afterlife". She closed her nose at the foul stench of the drunken, "Ugh...do people bother to brush their teeth these days?" She asked before she entered the building.

Once she was inside, what first caught her attention was the wide dance floor. Along with it was a dining area and the bar stand, which Kaisetsu immediately went to.

At the bar stand, there was but one man with light skin and short, jet-black hair with a bang covering his left eye.

He wore a black, collar shirt with a vertical line pattern under a dark-brown combat jacket, tan gloves, tan pants, and brown combat boots.

"499,998; 499,999; and 500,000 beli!" The man said counting the stacks of money he had in front of him. "Damn...that boy wasn't joking around when he said he'd give me this much money."

"Well that sounds like today was your lucky day, sir," Said the orange haired bartender who was cleaning up a glass cup.

"Bah, I don't believe in Lady Luck," The man said as he put all of his money back into his black sack.

"So, tell me how it happened," The bartender said, "Doesn't sound like something that happens to you every day."

"I got this money on the promise that I do not disclose its origins publicly," The man said. "For now, I'm gonna blame it on Lady Luck."

"But, I thought you didn't—"

"Exactly," The man said, "So, how about a round of booze or two."

"Right away," The bartender said as he gave the man a glass of booze to drink and prepared for any refills he will eventually request.

" _Mother always said…."_ The black haired girl thought as she approached the bar stand, " _The person who knows everything is the one who's always at the bar drinking his brains out."_ Once she had arrived at the bar stand, she sat down next to the man and said to the bartender, "I'll have a Strawberry Sunrise, no ice, and add in one of those cute umbrellas." She had gotten the attention of the raven-haired man.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking at a bar, Miss?" The man said after finishing his chug of booze.

"Aren't you a little old enough to understand the rule of women when it comes to age," Kaisetsu remarked with a snarky smile.

"Heh, to think a pretty lady would come to _me_ ," The man said, "Lady Luck, this better not be about my comment from before…" He muttered.

"I see you have finished counting your stack of beris," The girl said.

"Before you ask, it's a massive no," The man said with a passive aggressive tone, "I don't have time to be walking around buying dresses for some pretty girl."

"Oh my, no one's called me by that before," The girl said with a blush before she giggled, "Don't worry about me, Mr…"

"...Arrow. Falchion Arrow," Arrow said.

"Arrow, would you mind if I joined you for a drink?" The girl asked.

"As long as you don't stare at my money," Arrow said taking another chug of his booze.

"Thank you," The girl said as she sat down one seat away from him.

"Here's your order, ma'am," The bartender said as he handed the girl a glass with red liquid which appeared as a parfait with cream on the tip with tiny slices of strawberry on top along with a pink, tiny umbrella for decoration.

"Thank you, kind sir," The girl said as she took a sip of her Strawberry Sunrise before she asked, "So, what poor individual did you have to kill to get so much as 500 thousand beris?"

"Poor individual?" Arrow asked before taking a chug of his booze. He breathed out a sigh before saying, "I'm no bounty hunter. Just some man Lady Luck cursed with her damn luck for not believing in her."

"Doesn't acknowledging that it is Lady Luck's fault technically mean you are believing she exists?" The girl asked.

"Eh, I'm a weird, inconsistent man," Arrow said scratching his head, "One second I don't believe and the next I act like I do."

"I am very sorry for even asking," The girl said feeling a bit heartbroken, "I am simply curious. Please forgive me for my stupidity."

"Anyway, enough about me," Arrow said, "What's a girl like you doing in the scummiest of islands that is Serket?"

The girl took another sip of her Strawberry Sunrise, "I'm looking for someone."

"Define someone," Arrow said.

"A friend," the girl said with a smile.

"..." Arrow raised his eyebrow wondering why the girl didn't elaborate as he asked, "Well, if you're looking for this "friend" of yours, he could be in this bar, somewhere else on the island, or maybe not on the island at all. Whatever the case may be, I'm not the best person to ask for help. Sorry."

"Oh really?" The girl asked with a smile, "That's funny, because I know for sure he gave you those 500 thousand beris."

Arrow, about to reach for another chug of his booze, stopped and glared at the girl, "You watched us?"

The girl's smile turned into a mirroring glare in almost an instant, "No, I didn't." She said as her right thumb flicked on the hilt of her sword allowing the blade to slightly be shown.

"...Yep, this is definitely Lady Luck," Arrow said with a sigh before he drank the last of the booze. He turned back to the girl and saw a wanted poster in her hand.

" **WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE. DRACULE KADIRI. 30,000,000 BERI."**

"Damn...what did he do?" Arrow asked, "No wonder my gut kicked in when I held a gun at his head. Would have killed me in an instant."

"Tell me everything he told you," The girl said, "And I promise this conversation will have never happened in your life."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Miss…" Arrow said.

"Kaisetsu," The girl named Kaisetsu replied.

"Kaisetsu, I hate to say this but my lips are sealed," Arrow said, "All in exchange for the money you were so curious about."

"So you're not afraid to have your blood dripping from Murasaki?" Kaisetsu asked.

"You'd go that far for a wanted criminal?" Arrow asked.

"I'd go that far for a friend," Kaisetsu said.

"See here's the thing, lady," Arrow said before he pulled out a black pistol outlined with golden marks at Kaisetsu who fully sheathed Murasaki to meet the barrel of Arrow's gun, "You may have your reasonings for killing, but I have a reason to live."

"The same applies to me as well, Arrow," Kaisetsu said.

"This could go one of two ways," Arrow said with a serious glare as he stared into Kaisetsu's blue eyes with his own dark blue eyes, "1: You put the katana away, I put my gun away, and we both walk away and never shed any blood over nothing. Or 2: One of us walks about of here alive. Willing to take 2's risk?"

Kaisetsu closed her eyes and stood silent before she said, "Barkeep."

"Yes?" The barkeep asked.

"Do you have insurance?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Um, no," The barkeep said sweating, "Why?"

"So it's a fight then?" Arrow asked releasing the safety lock on his gun.

It wasn't long before the front half of Arrow's pistol fell off as if Kaisetsu had gotten through cutting it clean off; however, in the eyes of everyone else, Kaisetsu had not moved an inch, let alone grabbed Murasaki to cut the weapon.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Arrow asked.

"Ittoryu: Guanbi _(One Sword Style: Close Disarm)_ ," Kaisetsu said before she opened her eyes and prepared another attack.

"Now, both of you," The barkeeper said fearing for the state of his bar seeing the other customers, who were pirates and mercenaries, noticing the commotion between the two, "If you're going to fight, please take it outside."

"It wouldn't be a good idea to fight in a bar with other pirates and mercenaries," Arrow said, "I think we should take this outside."

"Very well," Kaisetsu replied as she sheathed Murasaki and turned to the barkeep, "I'll be back to finish my drink. Don't throw it away."

"Uh...okay…" The barkeep said as he watched the two exit his bar and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Kaisetsu and Arrow stood outside of the bar in the middle of the open road. The people around cleared the area knowing there was going to be a fight.

Arrow seems slightly irked he was fighting against his opponent.

"Ugh...as if this day couldn't get any worse," He muttered as he reached into the pockets on his coat pockets and pulled out two hand blades each with a skull insignia on the middle, "Listen, kid, I would rather not have this end in bloodshed. I've always hated fighting girls…"

"I can call this off, but only if you give me the information I've asked for," Kaisetsu said as she drew out Murasaki and pointed it at Arrow.

"I already told you that isn't going to happen," Arrow said, "Just forget about that Kadiri boy already. He's a lot more trouble than you're worth."

"You don't know him like I do," Kaisetsu said as she held Murasaki horizontally above the shoulder of her right arm, "I'll get that information one way or another. Ittoryu: Sanjuroku Pound Ho _(One Sword Style: 36 Pound Phoenix)_ ," Kaisetsu performs a circular swing, launching the air compressed projectile spiraling towards Arrow.

Arrow was caught off guard by the speed and size of Kaisetsu's attack, but quickly jumped to the right before the attack narelly grazed his left arm causing blood to slightly drip form the cut.

Kaisetsu quickly closed the distance between the two when she saw her opponent open and prepared for a fatal strike.

Arrow, however, was quick on the recovery and block Kaisetsu's attack with both of his hand blade. He pushes Kaisetsu away before taking the offensive starting with a swing of his left hand blade before his right.

Kaisetsu sidestepped out of the first strike and blocked the second with Murasaki. She kicked Arrow in the gut sending him back a few steps.

Arrow retook his battle stance after taking the kick and saw Kaisetsu rushing in for another attack.

"Ittoryu: Jiāochā Zǔhé _(One Sword Style: Cross Combination)_ ," Kaisetsu said as she unleashed a series of powerful, close combat, sword attacks onto Arrow, who blocked with both his hand blades; however, at the end of the sword combos, Kaisetsu sent Arrow flying in the air with a kick.

"Ngh," Arrow grunted as he looked down to see Kaisetsu jumping towards him. He answers this by throwing both of his hand blades towards her like daggers.

Kaisetsu slices on of the hand blades in half and tilted her head to the left to narely avoid the second one, which left a wound on her right cheek. That attack did not stop her, however, as she went in for a fatal strike.

Arrow, on the other hand, pulled out another set of the same hand blades and blocked Kaisetsu's attack, but as a result, he was sent crashing into the ground. With swiftness, Arrow managed to jump back onto his feet and looked up at Kaisetsu who was descending down towards him with Murasaki wielded in her left hand with her right hand gripping her left wrist for support.

"Ittoryu: Guānjiàn Biānyuán _(One Sword Style: Critical Edge)_ ," She whispered.

Before Arrow could react, Kaisetsu unleashed three heavy sword swings onto him. On the third strike, the swordswoman dashed through Arrow with extreme agility and proceeded to sheathe her blade, "Critical…" She whispered before she completely sheathed Murasaki.

Once Murasaki was sheathed, Arrow's body received cuts all over the skin and a major cut wound appeared on his abdomen. "Gah!" Arrow shouted blood started dripping from his mouth as he collapsed onto his ground facing the sky.

Kaisetsu turned to her downed opponent and walked towards him, "Now, tell me everything you know."

"Damn, girl…" Arrow grunted with frustration and annoyance, "Did you have to cut up my whole body like that?!"

Kaisetsu's eyes widened in shock before she shyly rubbed her head, "S-sorry...I went too far again, didn't I?"

"Went too far?" Arrow asked, "You started this whole thing by pointing your sword at me!"

"I-it for intimidation," Kaisetsu said raising her hands defensively, "Please, let me help you up."

"I'm fine...I can...sit up," Arrow said as he slowly got the upper part of his body to move to a sitting position, "Damn, you did a number on me. This is exactly why I hate fighting girls…"

"I can get you to a hospital, if that'll make things better," Kaisetsu said.

"Nah, I can handle myself," Arrow said, "Besides, you actually avoided cutting my organs, despite going too far."

"I needed information from you," Kaisetsu said.

"About Dracule Kadiri," Arrow said with a serious face.

"I know you promised not to tell anyone about what he said to you, but I must know where he is," Kaisetsu said as she got on her knees to meet Arrow eye-to-eye, "Please."

Arrow had a shocked expression when Kaisetsu pleaded to him. He rubbed his head, "Arrgh, I know I am going to regret this…" He muttered before he looked back at Kaisetsu, "Alright, I'll tell you everything, but you gotta promise when you see Kadiri, we never had this conversation, got it?"

"I understand," Kaisetsu said, "Oh, and I didn't fully introduce myself. I'm Roronoa Kaisetsu."

Arrow's eyes widen in shock, "R-Roronoa? Geez, no wonder to mopped the floor with me. Ugh...I'll never live this down."

"Yeah...sorry about that," Kaisetsu said.

"You can make it up as long as you listen to what I say, okay?" Arrow asked.

"Okay," Kaisetsu said as she readies to listen to Arrow.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

After Arrow told Kaisetsu his story and the two went to the hospital to treat Arrow's injuries, Kaisetsu returned to her one-man boat at the docks and sailed away from the island to her next destination.

"Chikai Island…" Kaisetsu muttered with a hint of worry in her heart as she makes her way to Chikai Island, "Kadiri…"

* * *

 **Jurabi: And there you have it: Roronoa Kaisetsu. For her cold and seemingly intimidating aggression, there's actually a sweetheart inside. She tends to take her training a little too far and this problem extends to her fights, as shown with Arrow.**

 **Speaking of Arrow, don't assume he's one of those characters that won't be relevant later, because he will in the future. This time...THIS time I got his character down right.**

 **As for Kaisetsu's new Ittoryu abilities, they are all translated from Chinese to English and that will be the last time I do that. It's not that I don't like it, it is simply because I don't want to overrun myself with too many different languages. Maybe when I go to another race like the Skypians, I might do that, but until then…**

 **Now, onto the two OC's for the Scout and Helmsman positions for the Oathkeepers.**

 **There was only one helmsman submitted to me so the obvious winner of that spot would be AlcatrazDGold's OC, Jackdaw Rob.**

 **As for the scouts, there were two submissions, so I'll announce whose I like more. The person who owns the scout position will be WhitewolfLune's OC, Eckhart Asha.**

 **Now, while I do like Matticus131's OC, Wilhelm Verlassen, I'm afraid his backstory was unable to make him stand out like Asha's did. I am terribly sorry, Matticus131. Hopefully someone in the future will be able to accept your OC.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Final character introduction and the story will get started! Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	5. Intro Arc Chp 5: Forest Fire

**Jurabi: Heeeeeeellooooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion here with another chapter of The Oathkeeper Pirates and we are finally at the last character introduction chapter! Thank you all again for following me in this far. I know this time I will nail this whole beginning of a very long story. And to that end, I'm going to do something different and new. Something I've never done before, which I will explain after this chapter. I hope you enjoy this fiery chapter. :)**

* * *

 **Intro Arc Chp. 5: Forest Fire**

 _~~Chikai Island: Seno Forest (Nighttime)~~_

Night had fallen on Chikai Island as Monkey D. Belle, Roronoa Kaisetsu, Yoshino Hoshida, and Sakuya Reevus make their way to their destination.

Chikai Island, when viewed from above, is neither too big nor too small but enough to hold a steady population of people. At the island's center lied a white mansion with several acres separating it from the regular buildings surrounding it. Among those buildings were roads that connected with each other forming a circular city, all with a wide river that splits the island. Outside of the city in Chikai Island are several small forests each with a cliff that stood near the edge of the beaches around the island.

Inside the forest to the east of the center mansion, there was a figure sitting on top of a tree staring at the mansion from a distance.

The figure's face and hair was completely shrouded in the black coat it wore on top of its black boots.

"Bada-bada-bada! Bada-bada-bada!" A sound rang as the figure took out the black colored version of what is called a den den mushi, a snail carrying a communication device.

The figure activated the den den mushi, "Are you inside, Kadiri," The voice of a female asked from the figure's shrouded face.

" _Yes, captain,"_ The voice of a male named Kadiri responded from the den den mushi, " _The security of this island isn't as heavy as our informant made it out to be."_

"Must not have accounted for the fact that this island is rather backwater and easily forgettable," the figure said, "Report back once you find the sword."

" _Yes, captain,"_ Kadiri replied.

"Ka-cha," The den den mushi said before it went back to sleep.

The mysterious woman jumped down from the tree branch she sat on and landed on the ground gracefully. That was when she sensed the presence hiding in the darkness.

"I know you're here," She said before she turned around and dodged a sword that looked like it had fire infused into its steel that came shooting out of the darkness. When the sword connected to the tree, the tree was set on fire until there was nothing remaining of it.

The sword had a chain at the end of the hilt. With a simple pull, the wielder brought the sword back into his or her right hand.

"I had a feeling your creators would release you upon me at some point, but to think they took this long," The woman said to her attacker, "Were you really that big of a risk to them?"

The attacker stepped out revealing itself as a boy with short, raven black hair with his blood red eyes shining through the darkness.

The boy wore a brown, armor plated shit under a high ranked red jacket, both of which are wrapped under a brown belt that was encased around his abdomen. His left shoulder had a white armor plating along with both of his forearms along with his black, fingerless gloves. Underneath, he wore black pants with white armor plating onto his knees and brown combat boots.

"Not going to say anything," The cloaked girl asked knowing the boy has not said a word.

The boy said nothing to her. Instead, he prepared his red, fire induced sword with a large, red shield in his left hand. With his weapon ready, the boy charged at her with an intent to kill.

"So be it," The hooded girl said as she got into a defensive battle stance.

The boy started the fight with a swift slash onto his opponent, but the hooded girl side stepped out of the way of the attack and retaliated with a quick, roundhouse kick, in which was blocked by the boy's shield. With his brute force, the boy sent the hooded girl flying with a shield bash.

The girl landed her feet onto the tree she was flying towards and then settled onto the ground. She then looked at the boy with her yellow, glaring eyes, "You're going to be a quick nuisance, aren't you?"

The boy's heat embedded sword began to light on fire. With that fire, he slashed three times sending three separate fire projectiles towards the hooded girl. Once he saw the hooded girl try to dodge the attacks, the boy saw his opening and rushed at her with a powerful slash of his sword. However, he didn't expect the hooded girl to catch his sword mid-swing with her left hand, which left him surprised.

"It seems I can't break this sword of yours," The hooded girl said, "No matter." She then sent the boy crashing against the burnt tree. "If that is all you have to offer, it's best for you to leave while you still have your skin attached to your body."

The boy again remained silent as he stood back up with his sword and shield in his hands. Even though it appeared to the hooded girl that he was surrendering, the boy then suddenly thrusted his sword into his shield as if the shield itself was the sword's sheath. Then he gripped the sword handle with both of his hands, his right hand being in front of his left as his shield suddenly sprang sharp edges on both sides taking the form of an axe which was also emitting heat and fire.

The hooded figure only gave a smirk as she saw the boy's transformed weapon, "Now things have gotten interesting."

With one powerful swing, the boy used his newly transformed axe and slammed it across the ground causing cracks within the earth that set on fire.

The hooded girl jumped out of the way of the incoming fire allowing the forest itself to get hit and set on fire, "Impressive," She remarked, but then she turned around to see the boy closing in on her to unleash a heavy strike. However, she easily caught it with her left hand and gave him another smirk, "Yet another attack I can easily catch with my hand, and yet here I thought you were going to be a ch-" She didn't finish her sentence when she saw the boy suddenly change the positions of his hands on the axe handle, his left hand now being in front of his right.

The boy then swung his axe in a full 360 to hit the hooded girl from her right side.

With quick reactionary speed, the hooded girl quickly put up her left arm in a protective stance stopping the axe in its tracks.

However, the boy was not finished yet. His red axe began to shake as it began to absorb the energy from the fire surrounding them. He then glared at the hooded girl with his red eyes, "Burst!"

In that instant, the whole forest exploded in a burst of flames.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Udeno Town~~_

The explosion from the forest was big and loud enough for all the citizens of Chikai Island to feel it.

"Wh-what the-" A male citizen asked nearly falling off of his feet due to how the island shook.

"What the hell was that?" Another male citizen asked.

"Look! Over there," A female citizen shouted pointing to a huge smoke coming from the east forest.

"A forest fire! Someone call the Fire Department," A male citizen shouted.

"What on earth could have caused that big of an explosion out of nowhere," Another male citizen asked.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Seno Forest~~_

The raven-haired boy held his axe in a slanted, tired body position as he panted heavily. The only trace of his opponent he could see was her black hood burning onto the branch of a scorching tree. To make sure his enemy was clearly dead, the boy looked around the area for any signs of life, but he found nothing.

However, the moment he turned his back…

"It isn't wise to turn your back on someone like me," the voice of the girl said.

With his axe, which no longer had the flames embedded in it, the boy turned around and swung a heavy strike towards the girl, who was still alive and standing behind him, with the intent to kill; however, the girl, whose face was shrouded by a dark aura, easily ducked under the horizontal swing and landed a strong punch to his abdomen with her left arm sending the boy flying out of the forest and towards the edge a cliff.

As the boy tumbled onto the ground, he dropped his weapon which in turn fell off the cliff and into the river.

The girl did not hesitate when she saw her opening and quickly grabbed the boy by the throat with her right hand and held him up above the river below.

"How pathetic," The girl said, "If you're supposed to be a taste of what's to come in my path, then I have nothing to fear. But then again, you still need time."

The boy took a good look at the girl, whose hair was black as ebony that extended to the middle of her back with eyes a dark shade of yellow.

"I will let you live, boy, but remember this," She said before she whispered in his ear. Once she saw the boy's eyes widen in shock, she immediately punched him in the gut with her left fist knocking him unconscious before she let go of his throat allowing his body to fall off the cliff.

The boy's body hit several rocks along the way causing scrape makes and bruises all over his body until his head hit a sharp rock hard that left a gaping hole in his head before he finally fell into the river.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~The Next Morning~~_

Yoshino Hoshida had arrived on the western side of Chikai Island. The first thing he and any visitors would see is the smoke from the forest fire.

" _I thought I sensed a disturbance last night,"_ Yoshino thought with his left resting over his mouth in a thinking pose before he entered the main town, "Doesn't matter," He took out a detailed map of the island that had the mansion marked with a red circle, "The Mizu Blade should be in the mansion...but where…?" He asked.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Kaisetsu arrived on the southern side of the island a lot closer to the smoke coming from the east.

"A forest fire?" Kaisetsu asked as she examined the ashes from how far the fire last night got before it was subdued, "No way an ordinary swordsman could create a forest fire like this. This can't be all what Kadiri wanted to do here…" She began to think hard about what she should do next, "Perhaps I should ask around…"

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Sakuya had only realized the smoke coming from the east forest after she arrived at the northern side of the island.

"Wow...how did that happen?" Sakuya asked herself as she absent-mindedly tried to put her boy magazines in her bag, but she ended up dropping it onto the ground. Before she left it behind, she heard a voice from behind.

"Excuse me," The voice asked.

"Yes," Sakuya asked before she turned around only to be met with a lovely sight.

She saw a light-red haired boy with tan colored eyes with a face that could captivate any girl's heart. He wore a black t-shirt under a loose yellow shirt which lied under a white, sleeveless jacket while also wearing orange pants. He also wore a yellow bandana resting across his forehead giving his hairstyle an unidentifiable appearance. In his hand was the handsome boy magazine Sakuya didn't know she dropped.

"Did you drop this," The boy asked as he handed her the magazine, but he then stopped when he saw the heart-shaped eyes Sakuya stared at him with, "U-Um, are you okay?"

"I am now that I've seen your face~!" Sakuya said with a lovey-dovey tone.

"I...see…" The boy said feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, I am sorry, my prince," Sakuya said, "It was so rude of me to speak to you in such a manner. I am Sakuya Reevus, and yes that is my magazine." She said before she took the magazine from his hands, "Thank you so much for picking it up."

"It's no problem," The boy said, "Name's Kota. Kota Fujiki."

"Ah~! Kota-kun...what a majestic name fitting for a man as handsome as you," Sakuya said with a blush.

"Oh, well thank you," Kota said, "I see you're interested in the Boy Handsome contest coming up tomorrow."

"Yes, my darling," Sakuya said, "Nothing pleases my heart more than to see the handsome faces of my future princes standing up stage with their heart-warming smiles. The contest is the very reason I came to this island."

"I hope it isn't the sole reason…" Kota said before he began to walk away, "Well I'll see you there tomorrow, Sakuya."

Sakuya clenched her chest as she blushed even harder, " _He remembered my name,"_ She screamed to herself in her mind before she shouted, "You too, Kota-kun! I'll be cheering for you!" Once they had parted ways, Sakuya let out a sigh, "I guess I came a little too early. What am I to do in the meantime…?" She asked as she started wandering aimlessly around the island searching for something to kill time with.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

Belle, although was the last to arrive, was also the closest to arrive at the scene of the forest fire. However, she didn't notice it at all due to being a sleep with her mp3 player now turned off due to running out of energy. It was only until her nose inhaled the smoke that the girl bolted away.

"AH! FIRE!" She screamed before she got a bearing on her surroundings and looked up at the charred remains of the eastern Chikai forest, "Whoa...first island from home and this is what I see? Damn." Belle said as she jumped off her boat and looked around at the burnt forest. "I wonder if it's safe to go inside...the smoke will probably kill me." She said before she thought of a way to go inside the smoke for a second before she got an idea, "That's right." She put her hand over her mouth, "Kesshō Kesshō no…" She then forms crystals over her mouth and nose to block out the smoke, "Gas Mask!"

After having a secure way to venture through the forest, Belle made sure to watch her step the further she walked since it started becoming hotter as she went along. She then reached a river that surprisingly hasn't dried up due to the forest fire, "What in the world even started all this? I know that forest fires start from even the smallest bit of heat but this is ridiculous."

As Belle approached the river, she suddenly saw something move along the rocks. "What was that?" She asked as she carefully and slowly approached the rocks ready for any surprise. But all of that carefulness immediately went away once she laid eyes on a boy lying unconscious on the rock bed. Without hesitation, Belle rushed to the boy's aid by pulling him safely out of the water.

The first thing she did is put her head against the boy's chest to see if he was breathing, and much to her relief, he was. "Kesshō Kesshō no: Gas Mask!" She shouted as she formed crystals around the boy's mouth and nose to protect him from the toxic fumes. Then she checked all over his body to see if there are any fatal injuries, but aside from a few cuts and bruises, everything seemed fine. Belle then lightly tapped at the boy's cheeks, "Hey! Hey, can you hear me?"

The boy's body twitched at the touch of her finger as he slowly opened his blue eyes, but all he could see was a blur, "Wh-whe...re…" Was all he could breathe out before falling back into unconsciousness.

"Wait! Are you…" Belle couldn't finish her question as the boy lost consciousness and sat immobile in her arms, "Don't worry. I'll get you somewhere away from this place," She said as she picked up the boy and hoisted him up behind her back and began to walk into the city, "Ooph, you're...a heavy one, aren't you?"

Monkey D. Belle, Roronoa Kaisetsu, Yoshino Hoshida, Sakuya Reevus, and the boy found in the lake. 5 individuals with their own stories and their own goals they believe can be accomplished on their own; however, they did not know that soon they will need each other more than they realize.

* * *

 **Oathkeeper Pirates Opening 1: Stella Glow Opening (Hikari no Metamorphosis)**

 **Jurabi: And there you have it, an unknown character introduced as the fifth main character. What is his name? Some of you will know soon; some of you know already. Either way, did you like the way he used a sword and a shield at first, but then he combined the two into a long axe to cause a massive explosion? I sure loved writing that part because it was soooo cool.**

 **Now, we are about to start the first arc: The Chikai arc. Here is the new thing I am going to try and do for this rewrite: Write out the ENTIRE arc, BEFORE I post it.**

 **I know, that sounds like a lot and it might risk year long updates...but it sounds like it's something I can do to avoid certain problems I've ran into when I was previously writing the other versions. If you guys aren't liking to this idea, let me try it out for just this arc and see what happens. It might work, it might not.**

 **Now as for the Chikai arc, let me know how you think things will go and what will and won't happen. I'd like to hear your thoughts.**

 **And one more thing, I'll be off to my grandmother's for Christmas so think of this as an early Christmas gift to all of you.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Final character introduction and the story will get started! Thank you for reading, I'll see you next chapter, and have a MEEEEERY CHRISTMAS!**


	6. Chikai Arc Chp 1: Ackmor

**Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion, bringing you another chapter of The Oathkeeper Pirates. Okay...I am so, so fucking sorry for taking so long with this arc. Even though I've been working on this chapter for a long while, it's been ages since I've actually updated the story here. I didn't have as big of an issue with this chapter, but I was stuck for a long time on the next one and I'm still working on the third chapter after that. It wasn't easy doing the entire arc since I had to neglect updating here.**

 **Before you get into this chapter,** **I did an update of the first chapter. I highly recommend you read that first before this chapter and maybe reread previous chapters in case you forgot what has happened because you might feel a bit confused by the end of this arc since I do something that will tie into that beginning chapter. The big thing I did in the first chapter was introduce Belle is a much better and more story-driven manner. You'll understand once you read the first chapter.**

 **Anyways, thank you all for the patience and let's get into this arc.**

* * *

 **Chikai Arc Chp. 1: Ackmor**

 _~~Unknown Location (Morning)~~_

On the morning after the night of the forest fire, the raven haired boy Belle found at the river opened his eyes, which were now blue instead of red. The first thing he saw was a working ceiling fan, then his gaze then turned to the rest of the neatly organized room he slept in and then on the blue bed he was sleeping on.

"Where am I?" He asked before he rubbed his head feeling a little pain from it, but then he notices that his head was wrapped up in bandages. The boy then felt confusion enter his mind and he continued to feel the bandages on his head wondering where they could have come from. Feeling a painful sting inside his own skull, the boy had no choice but to rest his head back onto the pillow on his bed; however, when he did lay his head down, he was met with the face of an orange-haired girl above him who wasn't there before.

"AH!" The boy screamed as he jolted his head back up.

"Finally awake, I see," The girl said with a giggle.

The boy took some time to regain his breath after suddenly losing it from the surprise he went through.

As he did, the girl continued, "It was a good thing I found you when I did. You could have gotten dangerously sick being in the river for that long."

The boy only looked at the girl completely unsure of what she was saying or talking about.

"You were out like a light," The girl said, "I had to carry you from the river all the way here. It's a good thing the people who live here were doctors. Anyway, my name is Monkey D. Belle," Belle introduced herself as she gave the boy a childish yet cheerful smile and extended her hand in greeting, "You can just call me Belle."

"Where am I?" The boy asked the girl.

"Hold on, did we just skip the part where you introduce yourself to me," Belle asked as she put her hand back and puffed her cheeks out in a pouty fashion, "That's not nice at all!"

"Oh, I didn't mean that," The boy said as his voice grew silent, "My name…I…don't know."

Belle dropped her jaw when the boy told her that, "What? You don't know your own name?" She asked as the boy shook his head in response. Belle folded her arms and closed her eyes, "Wow…" Belle said before she tilted her head, "Never met a boy who didn't know his own name."

The boy shook his head, "My head hurts a lot, though."

"Don't worry," Belle said as she sat down on a chair backwards, "The doctor here knows exactly what she's doing. Reminds me of a doctor I know of."

"Hey, did our patient wake up?" A voice asked as an orange haired man walked into the room.

"Yes, but it looks like there's more wrong with him than I thought," Belle said.

"What do you mean?" The orange haired boy asked as he walked towards the raven haired boy's bed.

"For one, he doesn't know his own name," Belle explained.

"Seriously?" The orange haired boy asked as he grabbed another chair to sit on properly, unlike Belle.

"I'm sorry to ask this again, but where am I?" The raven haired boy asked.

"Well, you are in my house getting that wound in your head treated," The orange haired boy said pointing towards the raven haired boy's bandaged head, "Honestly, my mother said you were a goner with all the blood dripping out of that hole in your skull, but man I don't know how you're still alive."

"Hole?" The boy asked as he rubbed his head.

"Hey, don't touch it!" Belle shouted, grabbing the boy's hand, "It will hurt a lot more if you mess with it."

The boy said nothing as he put his hand down on his lap.

"My name is Kota Fugaku," The boy named Kota said as he extended his hand for a handshake, but was met with a blank stare from the raven haired boy. Kota brought his hand back and scratched his head, "So….no idea what your name is, huh?"

"Seems like it," Belle said, "If he was joking he would have said so."

"If I was joking, I would have seriously told you by now," The boy said.

"Well...we can at least try and figure out what happened," Kota said before he turned to the boy, "Do you know what occurred before Belle found you?"

"I'm sorry, what?" The boy asked in confusion.

"What were you doing before I found you?" Belle repeated, "No one is washed up on a river for no reason."

"I…don't know that either..." The boy replied.

"You don't know?" Kota asked, "Then what _do_ you know?"

"What I do know…" The boy said before he looked at Belle. He was about to say something important before the door to the room opened again.

"My, so he _is_ alive," An orange haired woman said walking in.

"He sure is, Mom," Kota said, "Even with that gaping hole on his head, this kid somehow survived."

"Well that is wonderful news," Amaya said as she walked towards the bedridden boy, "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Amaya Fugaku. How are you feeling?"

"I'm hurting a lot in my head," The boy replied, "But it doesn't feel too severe."

"That's good to hear," Amaya said.

"But there's still the problem of him not knowing much of anything," Belle said, "He keeps saying he doesn't know. He doesn't even remember what happened leading up to when I found him."

"Really, now?" Amaya asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't even know his own name," Kota said, "It's so bizarre."

Amaya took some time to look over the boy's injury, much to his discomfort, "Hm...You have no knowledge of where you are or of your own name," She said before she stopped to look at the boy, "Amnesia," She concluded.

"Amnesia?" The boy asked.

"To be more precise, you have dissociative amnesia," Amaya said, "Of all my studies as a doctor, I've never seen a skull wound as deep as yours was. You took a huge fall, hit a solid surface, and fell into the river with that gaping wound. I can't think of any other way you could have gotten amnesia."

"Good lord!" Kota exclaimed in shock, "How are you still alive?!"

"Any other doctor would logically conclude that you were dead," Amaya said, "Yet when this young girl came, you were groaning in pain—still alive and breathing. You, young man, must have a powerful being watching over you."

"It was that bad?" The boy asked.

"Not only that, but your abdomen also had signs of taking a huge hit from a high-speed object," Amaya said, "Any explanation for that?"

"None," The boy said, "I have no idea what I was doing prior to when I blacked out."

"Whatever it was, it sounds like you were doing something serious," Belle said, "Is there any way to get his memories back."

"I don't know. It depends on how he lost his memories," Amaya told them.

"My memories…" The boy said before he looked down at the bed covers resting over his body.

"We can think about that another time, though," Amaya said before she clapped her hands, "Why don't I make breakfast for everyone while our guest rests up."

"Oh yes, please," Belle said.

"You guys okay staying in here?" Kota asked before he stood up from his chair.

"We sure are," Belle said, "Thank you for letting us stay here."

"It's no problem," Kota said, "Let us know if you need anything." And with that, Kota and his mother closed the door behind them.

The two remained silent for a moment before the boy spoke up, "It's...Belle, right?" He asked.

"Yep, Monkey D. Belle," Belle said.

"Have we met before?" The boy asked.

"Excuse me?" Belle asked suddenly confused by the question.

"Your face…" The boy explained, "It looks…familiar."

"Hm…" Belle folded her arms, "I'm sorry, but I don't think we ever met. If we did, I certainly would know your name."

"I see…" The boy said.

"Do you know something, though?" Belle asked.

"Know something?" The boy asked.

"I mean, you wouldn't have asked that if you didn't know anything about me," Belle said.

"Well…not really," The boy said, "It's just a feeling I had."

"A feeling, huh?" Belle asked as she suddenly made an optimistic smile, "A feeling or not, that is definitely something we can work with. In the meantime, why don't we enjoy each other's company until breakfast?"

"I wouldn't mind, but what do you suggest we do?" The boy asked.

"Do you listen to music?" Belle asked as the boy only shook his head. She then took out her mp3 player, "Well I, fortunately, love listening to music. It's something that soothes your mind whenever you're anxious or worried about something. Wanna listen with me?"

"Sure," The boy said as Belle handed him an ear bud to place in his left ear as Belle placed one in her right.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 ** _~~Udeno Town~~_**

"What?!" Sakuya exclaimed after she listened to what the director of the Chikai Boy Handsome event, "What do you mean it's still postponed?!"

"Ma'am, it is exactly as I said," The director repeated, "As orders from the Major overseeing this island, all events being held on this island must be postponed for the investigations concerning the forest fire."

"But when _will_ you be able to start the event again?!" Sakuya asked feeling as if her whole world was falling apart all around her.

"I'm afraid I do not know myself," The director said, "From what I've heard, the investigations usually take around four days, a week at most."

"Four days?!" Sakuya asked in complete shock, "But I don't have that long!"

"That is all just conjecture," The director said, "No need to take my own word to heart. For all we know, the marines could be finishing up investigations at this moment. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience, but we must ask you to be as patient as the rest of us."

Sakuya let out a loud, disappointed sigh before she thanked the director and went back into town from the beach, where the Chikai Boy Handsome event was supposed to have been held. Sakuya wondered around the city in search of something to due to pass the time, but found such a task to be nigh impossible. In her hand was a small paper with a layout of the entire island drawn out for her by a friendly elder. Letting out a heavy sigh of defeat, Sakuya sat down at the nearby fountain found in front of the mansion at the center of town.

Meanwhile on the other side of the fountain, Kaisetsu was walking along the path towards the fountain feeling completely lost in her search.

"Ten people so far and not one of them knows anything about Kadiri," Kaisetsu muttered in frustration, "It doesn't help either that the area of the forest fire is sealed off by marines. I have nothing else to go on now," As Kaisetsu neared the fountain, she notices a familiar figure sitting near the edge with familiar, pointy ears, "Wait a minute, is that…?' She asked as she approached the figure.

"What do I do now?" Sakuya asked as she noticed that the people who walk by her give her weird glances before quickly walking away from her. "It's just like all the other times I arrive at an island…" She said as she poked at her pointy ears, "Maybe I should wear earmuffs or something."

"So it is you, Sakuya," A voice said from behind, causing Sakuya to jump to her feet.

"Ah!" The siren screamed before she turned around with an angry look, "Don't scare me like that. I could have fallen in the fou—Wait," She stopped when she realized the person she was looking at was a long-time friend, "Kaisetsu…?"

"I never expected to see you, of all people, here," Kaisetsu said.

Sakuya had the biggest smile on her face as she ran towards the black-haired woman, "Kaisetsu!" She shouted before she gave Kaisetsu a big hug that was so strong that it almost knocked Kaisetsu off her feet.

"Whoa!" Kaisetsu yelped as she quickly regained her footing, "Geez, Sakuya. Could you not have tackled me any harder?"

"Sorry, Kai, but I just…it's been so long since we've seen each other," Sakuya said before she let go, "And seeing you also brightened up my day a bit."

"I see," Kaisetsu said as she smiled, "In that case, it's great to see you again too. I passed by this café not too long ago. Want to have a drink with me?"

"Sure," Sakuya said.

The two girls walked down the path Kaisetsu took to arrive at the fountain and arrived at a café. Both girls ordered a cup of coffee with Kaisetsu's focusing more on cream while Sakuya's had more sugar.

"How long has it been, Kaisetsu?" Sakuya asked taking a sip of her sugar coffee.

"Ten years, if I recall correctly," Kaisetsu said, "It's unfortunate that my family and I haven't had time to revisit yours."

"Don't worry about it, Kai," Sakuya said, "I've been bit busy myself all these years."

"Busy?" Kaisetsu asked, "Honing your skills like me, perhaps?"

"Oh right," Sakuya said as she remembered one aspect about Kaisetsu, "I forgot how fixated on training you are, just like your dad."

"A swordsman's duty is to train rigorously and without slack," Kaisetsu said with a confident smile, "My dad always tells me that; though, I still have much to learn if I am to be anywhere near the level of his sword skills."

"Speaking of which, how are Uncle Zoro and Auntie Robin doing," Sakuya asked.

"They're doing great," Kaisetsu said as she took a sip of her cream coffee, "Father is still the same as usual. To this day, the way he trains still astounds me. Mother is no different. The amount of books she reads on a daily basis. I can barely sit through one full novel, let alone read as much as she can."

"Wow..." Sakuya said in awe from listening to Kaisetsu's story, "Ten years and they still act the same."

"Tell me about it," Kaisetsu said, "How about your family? Are Uncle Sanji and Auntie Viola still there lovey-dovey selves?"

"You guessed right," Sakuya said taking another sip of her coffee, "You will not believe the things they say to each other whenever they think I'm not looking. I'm embarrassed just to repeat them."

"Hehe, no need, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said with a giggle, "I'm glad they're doing just as well, and hopefully none of that lovey-dovey stuff hasn't rubbed off on you."

"Hahahaha, you've nothing to worry about, Kai," Sakuya said trying hard not to sound like she got called out, "I actually hurled at every one of their little flattery competitions where they try to out complement each other."

"Wow, it's that bad?" Kaisetsu asked.

"All kinds of bad," Sakuya said lying about the fact that it actually rubbed off on her.

"You know, if your father had rubbed off on you, I would have liked seeing it," Kaisetsu said.

"You what?" Sakuya asked in shock as she put down her half-empty coffee.

"Think about it," Kaisetsu said, "You being so love-infatuated around this one handsome guy, giving him all sorts of presents and cooked foods, and more. You have to admit that sounds like something that would make you cute."

"Come on, Kai!" Sakuya whined, "You know I'm better than that!"

"Hehe, I kid, I kid," Kaisetsu said giggling before silence befell on the two as they finish their drinks.

"If you don't mind me asking, Kai," Sakuya said, "What are you doing on a backwater island like this?"

"Funny," Kaisetsu said before she took on a serious, "I was about to ask you the same thing, Sakuya. Don't tell me…are you searching for your real parents?"

"How'd you know that?" Sakuya asked in shock.

"It's written all over your face," Kaisetsu said, "Sakuya, it's a dangerous world out there even with the training that I received. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do," Sakuya said, "But…"

"My mother searched for every single piece of information she could find, but nothing she found told her anything about the sirens of today aside from their own history," Kaisetsu said.

"So I should just give up?!" Sakuya asked, feeling hurt that Kaisetsu would imply that.

"I'm saying that it will be difficult," Kaisetsu said, "…Well alone, that is."

"Huh?" Sakuya asked.

"I'm searching for someone, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, "I've been following a few leads, but so far I keep running into one dead end after another," She then reached into her black pouch and took out a wanted poster, "You know him, right? Dracule Kadiri?"

"Dracule Kadiri…" Sakuya said as she thought about the question, "I heard of him, but I can't say I ever met him."

"I see," Kaisetsu said as she put the wanted poster back into her pouch.

"Why?" Sakuya asked curiously, "You have a beef with him or something?"

"It… might be difficult for you to understand," Kaisetsu said.

"Try me," Sakuya said confidently.

Kaisetsu smiled at her friend's confidence, "You haven't changed at all, Sakuya."

"Same to you, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said before both girls giggled.

"Alright," Kaisetsu said, "Where do I start?" She wondered before she began her story.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 ** _~~Fugaku Residence~~_**

Belle had just finished eating breakfast with the amnesiac boy and sat in his resting room with him. During his time at the breakfast table, the boy felt uneasy with the strangers he woke up to and was reluctant to eat his food, but Belle managed to reassure him that he has no need to be cautious around them.

For the next hour, the boy spent the time recovering until surprisingly, his wound on his head quickly healed.

"So…" The boy said as he rubbed his head, "I'm no longer feeling the pain in my head. Does that mean I'm better now?"

Belle's jaw dropped when she heard this, "What?! You're recovered already?!" She asked as the boy nodded, "Let me see," She removed the bandages area on the boy's head to take a good look at the wound; however, she couldn't because the boy's head appear to her as if the wound was never there to begin with. "Whoa…"

"I'm surprised myself," The boy said, "Wouldn't a wound like that take at least a week to fully recover?"

"It should, according to what Mrs. Fugaku told us," Belle said, "Wow, that's amazing. Can you stand and walk?"

"I'll try," The boy said as he easily stood up and began walking around the room, much to Belle's delight.

"Awesome!" Belle shouted, "A full, early recovery. I'll go tell Kota and his mom, so sit down on the bed in case you feel a bit woozy," The orange-haired girl said before she left the room with an excited glee.

The amnesiac continued to slowly rub his hand against his head trying to make heads and tails of how he could have recovered so quickly despite it only being a full day, according to Belle. Not only that, but he also had trouble figuring out what was going on around him. First he wakes up in a random room hurt and bandaged up all without memories, and now his wounds heal faster than anyone could expect. However, despite all of these troubling questions he has, there was something else that troubled him the most: what is going to happen to him now that he has fully recovered? Is he going to be left out now that he could stand and walk without falling over? These questions were the reason why he felt so uneasy at breakfast. To him, these people were strangers who just happen to be kind enough to help him despite knowing next to nothing about him; especially Belle. He can't put his finger on it, but something about her really seems familiar.

"See?" Belle asked suddenly snapping the boy out of his thinking state.

He saw that Kota and Amaya have entered the room after hearing that the boy had recovered.

"Whoa, he really has recovered, and it hasn't even been two full days," Kota said with shock.

"That shouldn't have been possible," Amaya commented taking a close look at the area where the boy's wound previously was, "Your wound wasn't wide but was deep into your skull, young man. It's one thing if you managed to even survive that deep of a wound, but for it to have healed in a full day…"

"You have to have some sick, self-healing for that to work," Belle said with a cheeky smile.

"I appreciate the compliment, but such a skill doesn't exist," The boy said.

"Regardless, I think this works out well for all of us," Amaya said, "Congratulations on your full recovery, young man. I hope I've done a good enough job to keep your comfortable."

"Yes, I'm grateful that you, Kota, and Belle," The boy said, "All of you were willing to help me even though I don't know my own name or anything else for that matter," He finished with a sad expression.

"Cheer up," Kota said, "So what if you have amnesia? The most important thing is that you're still alive and kicking."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Belle said, "I was actually afraid I would have to wait on this island for a full week watching over you."

"Speaking of which…" Amaya said, "What do you two plan on doing now that our guest has fully recovered?"

"Well, I'm off to find some people to join me on my adventure," Belle said.

"Adventure?" Kota asked.

"Yep," Belle said, "I want to have a fun adventure as I sail along the seas and meet lots of people in the world."

"A free spirited girl," Amaya said before she let out a small, amused laugh, "You won't find girls like her anywhere."

"But first, I gotta help you out first," Belle said, pointing at the amnesiac boy.

"Me?" The boy asked.

Belle nodded before she continued, "We have to find a way to get your memories back and I know just the place to start," She said before she grabbed the boy's arm and began dragging him out the house, "Come on, the sooner we get there, the better."

"Man that girl just does not stay still," Kota said as he and Amaya followed the two.

"W-wait a second!" The boy shouted as he was dragged outside the house before Belle stopped.

"Hm?" Belle asked as she tilted her head in confusion, "What's the matter?"

"Isn't this a little too much?" The boy asked.

"What do you mean?" Belle asked still confused.

"I'm a stranger with no name," The boy said, "Why would you want to help me more than you already have?"

Belle looked at the boy and smiled, "Because you need my help, that's why."

"Huh?" The boy asked not understanding what she meant.

"You may not want to admit it, or you may not even realize it yourself, but you're scared," Belle said, "You woke up without memory and without a name. I may not know anything about you, but I would be scared half to death if the same thing happened to me. That's why…" Belle said before she suddenly made an awed expression as if she had a great idea and smiled, "That's why I wanted to be the first person you woke up to—someone who is going to help you get your memories back, Ackmor."

The boy stood silent for a while before he asked, "Ackmor?"

"That's right," Belle said, "Ackmor."

"What's an Ackmor?" The boy asked.

"Your name," Belle said.

"My…name?" The boy asked.

"Well, it's actually my name for you," Belle said, "Until we find out your real name, we can use Ackmor for the time being.

"…Do I need a name?" The boy asked.

"Of course you do," Belle explained, "A name is your identification in this world…or something like that," She said before scratching her head and letting out a weak smile, "Do you have a name in mind for yourself? We can go with whatever name you think of, if you want."

The boy thought about the name and said it to himself a couple of times, "Nah, I'm okay with your name. I can't really think of any myself, to be honest."

"Great," Belle said, "So, Ackmor, will you please let me help you recover your memories?"

Before Ackmor could think about it, Kota and Amaya joined in on the conversation.

"I think you should let her help, Ackmor," Amaya said.

"You think so too?" Ackmor asked.

"It's not often that you'd find a girl as eager to help as Belle," Amaya said.

"I agree," Kota said, "I may not know who you really are, Ackmor, but I know something happened to make you lose your memory. Who knows, there might be people waiting on you, but you don't know who they are anymore, so the sooner you get your memory back, the better."

Ackmor thought about what to do next before he looked back at Belle's genuine smile, "Okay, Belle. You lead the way."

"Alright!" Belle cheered, "Don't worry, Ackmor. I'll make our memory-recovering journey a blast."

"A…blast?" Ackmor asked.

"Not that kind of blast," Belle said, "The kind of blast where you feel excited about something- like having fun at the beach, sort of."

"I see," Ackmor said.

"Anyways, so which way was that forest fire?" Belle asked.

"Forest fire?" Ackmor asked.

"The forest fire happened on the eastern side of the island," Kota said, "We're on the southern side, so you'll have to go through town, take a right, and find the pathway to the eastern forest."

"Got it, thanks a lot, you two," Belle said.

"Yes, thank you so much for helping me recover," Ackmor said.

"It was no trouble at all, Ackmor," Amaya said before she continued, "Now then, you two better be careful on this journey of yours. I think you're too young to be out without your parents, but those are the words of a mother who worries too much."

"We will," Belle said as she and Ackmor began to make their way to the city.

Once the two were out of sight, however, Kota's den-den mushi began to ring causing him to pick it up, "Yes?" He asked as he listened to the other side. Due to Kota putting it on non-speaker mode, his mother couldn't hear who Kota was talking to, "Yes sir. I'll be right there." He said before he hung up the den-den mushi.

"Work again?" Amaya asked.

"Sorry, Mom," Kota said, "But with all that's going on, of course I'm going to be called back into the Chikai Mansion. I can't tell you the details, but it's an emergency."

"Alright, dear," Amaya said with a sigh, "Please be careful."

"I will," Kota said with a smile as he headed out to Chikai mansion with troubled thoughts, _"The Mizu Blade being stolen at the night of the forest fire and this mysterious axe found floating in the river. Things don't seem to be boding well at all…"_

* * *

 **Jurabi: And that's the end of the chapter. I have the next chapter ready to be posted but I'll wait a little while until you've all fully let the stuff that happened in this chapter sink in. Again, I am deeply sorry that this chapter took so long, but I am really bad at setting the beginning up and it takes me a while to fully grasp it.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Final character introduction and the story will get started! Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	7. Chikai Arc Chp 2: Heat Surge

**Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion, bringing you another chapter of The Oathkeeper Pirates. Before we start, I'd like to thank you guys for being very understanding of the long wait times for the chapters. Making an entire arc in one go isn't easy and it takes a lot of time. Plus, college has started up again and I need to find the right time to do all of this, so thanks for understanding. Anyways, let's get started with this chapter.**

 **Previously on The Oathkeeper Pirates...**

 _ **"Alright," Belle cheered, "Don't worry, Ackmor. I'll make our memory-recovering journey a blast."**_

 _ **"A…blast," Ackmor asked.**_

 _ **"Not that kind of blast," Belle said.**_

 **And now...back to making oaths...**

* * *

 **Chikai Arc Chp. 2: Heat Surge**

 _~~Udeno Town~~_

Sakuya and Kaisetsu were walking through Udeno Town while continuing with their discussion.

"I understand now," Sakuya said as she walked beside Kaisetsu through the Chikai town listening to her story, "It's hard to believe you were chasing this guy down for that long and for that reason, Kaisetsu."

"Whether you wish to believe it or not, it's the truth," Kaisetsu said, "The fire that broke out last night along with the information I obtained from the last island…they both must be connected to Kadiri in some way."

"Quite the deduction you have," Sakuya said.

"Unfortunately, they are all hypothetical deductions at best," Kaisetsu said, "I first need to gather information about the fire. The marines have closed off the eastern forest where the fire took place, so I'll have to make do with what I have."

"Ooh, and you're acting like a detective of sorts too?" Sakuya pointed out with a cheeky smile, "Got that from your mom's side?"

"More or less," Kaisetsu replied as she took another look at the map of Chikai Island, "We're almost at the gate to the Chikai Mansion."

"There's a mansion here?" Sakuya asked.

"You didn't know that?" Kaisetsu asked back to the siren.

Sakuya shook her head in response, "I only got here just recently," She replied rubbing her head.

"That's no problem," Kaisetsu said before she showed her friend the map of Chikai Island, "In the middle here is the mansion. This whole island is shaped like a target symbol with rivers that pour out into the sea from the north and east. To the east of the mansion is the location where the forest fire took place."

"I see," Sakuya said nodding, "But if the water is coming from the north and east, how is it redirected to the southern and western directions?"

"Well since the mansion is at the center, it must have something to do with the redirection," Kaisetsu said, "Perhaps they have some mechanism that allows the building to change the direction of the current."

"That makes sense," Sakuya said, "So why are we heading to the mansion again?"

"To get information from the marines themselves, hopefully," Kaisetsu said, "Though, I doubt they'll tell people like us anything."

"Yeah, you can't even say your full name around the marines, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said, "What do we do when they ask for our identities?"

"That's the part I always get stumped on when it comes to marines," Kaisetsu said as the two arrived at the Chikai Mansion, "If only our parents weren't so damn infamous…"

"Whoa, that's a really huge building," Sakuya said in awe of the large, white building.

"It's not that impressive," Kaisetsu said not amused in the slightest, "Definitely not as big as Auntie Kaya's mansion."

Sakuya then noticed a few people standing in front of the gate, two marines and a boy, "Hey, who's that over there?"

Kaisetsu looked over at the gate immediately noticing the boy, "Guess we aren't the only ones curious about that fire," She said before she and Sakuya made their way over to the gate.

"For the last time, kid, that kind of information is classified," One of the marines to the boy's left said.

"Until the investigation is finished, none of us are allowed to disclose any information to the public," The other marine to his right stated.

"You sound so sure of yourselves," The boy said crossing his arms, "Neither of you are lying to me about that, are you?"

"Talking to us with that attitude won't get you anywhere, boy," Said the left marine.

"This 'boy' has a name: Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino said, "It is in your best interest not to forget that."

"This little kid is getting on my nerves," The right marine said starting to lose his temper.

"I suggest you go back home," The left marine said, "You're obstructing the duty of us marines."

Both marines and Kaisetsu and Sakuya, who were watching, could tell a nerve had been struck with the boy seeing his scowling face.

"One more question," The boy said, "Is it true that the Mizu Blade was stolen from the mayor's mansion?"

"That information is classified as well," The left marine explained, "Sticking your nose into other people's business will get you killed."

"So…you have no intention on telling me anything," Yoshino said slowly losing his own temper.

"If you understand that fact, then buzz off!" The right marine said, "We don't have time for kids like you."

"…Very well," Yoshino said before he turned around, "Perhaps another time then," he said before he began walking away."

"There won't be another time, brat!" The right marine shouted, "Come here again and we'll arrest you!"

Yoshino let out an annoyed sigh before he stopped in front of Kaisetsu and Sakuya, who still had her ear muffs on, "You both saw that pathetic display from those men, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately," Kaisetsu said.

"That attitude is typical of marines these days," Yoshino said with a nerved face, "Thinking they can say whatever they please to whomever they want. Makes me sick to my stomach."

"I know how you feel, sir," Kaisetsu said.

"Anyways, if you're looking to ask them about the fire or the rumored theft, don't bother," Yoshino said, "All they say is nonsense like 'classified'."

"Theft?" Kaisetsu asked.

"In that mansion, there is an old sword on display called the Mizu Blade," Yoshino explained, "Rumor has it that when the fire started a few nights back, that blade was stolen from its mantel. Don't take my word for it, though."

"I see," Kaisetsu said.

"At this rate, I might have to check out the forest myself," Yoshino muttered.

"Hm?" Kaisetsu asked thinking she heard the boy say something.

"Don't mind me," Yoshino said, "Anyways, I should get going."

"Thank you for the information," Kaisetsu said, "My name is…Kaisetsu. Let me know if you find something useful. I'm searching for something too."

"Kaisetsu…" Yoshino repeated finding it odd that the girl didn't give her full name, "I'll be sure to do that if I have the time to. I'm Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino then looked over to Sakuya found it odd that she was wearing only ear muffs, "You wear only ear muffs in this weather?"

"U-umm….I-I…" Sakuya stammered as her face heated up.

"Sakuya?" Kaisetsu asked finding Sakuya's sudden behavioral change unnatural.

"Are you okay?" Yoshino asked feeling concerned for the girl, "You're not hot, are you?"

"N-No…" Sakuya stammered, "M-my name, is Sakuya Reevus."

"Sakuya Reevus," Yoshino repeated, "Well if you're feeling hot, Sakuya, you might want to take those ear muffs off and get something cold to drink."

Sakuya smiled before clasping her hands together and saying, "Oh, my sweet prince Yoshino, I am grateful that you're willing to show so much care to a stranger like me~!"

A brief moment of silence fell onto the three before Yoshino said, "Prince…?"

"Sweet prince?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Ah, Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya said feeling her heart flutter, "Such a beautiful name for a handsome man. Shall I cook you something to commemorate our fateful meeting?"

Yoshino gave Sakuya a confused look before turning to Kaisetsu, "Is your friend…okay in the head?"

"I don't know either…" Kaisetsu said feeling awkward from just knowing Sakuya, now that this strange personality has surfaced.

"What would you like for dinner, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked while holding Yoshino's hands, "Just say the word and I will travel across oceans and islands to find the best ingredients to make the best dish you have ever tasted! This I swear to you, my prince!"

Yoshino took a few steps back from the girl, "Okay…I have to go now…"

"B-but, my prince…" Sakuya said feeling she is getting rejected.

"Don't call me that," Yoshino said, "And don't add that ridiculous "kun" at the end of my name either!" He shouted angrily before looking at Kaisetsu, "I'll be going now. Don't let your friend do anything stupid."

"…Yeah…" Kaisetsu said hesitantly before Yoshino walked away from the two.

 _"What was with that girl?"_ Yoshino thought, _"Doesn't matter. I need to figure out where the Mizu Blade is. Perhaps I should check out the unauthorized area those marines were talking about..."_

"…Rejected…once again!" Sakuya cried while tears poured from her eyes, "I thought for sure that I found my one and only prince!"

"Hold on…you called that boy a prince and added "kun" to his name…" Kaisetsu said beginning to grow a smug smile on her face, "You're willing to cook the best meal for him…and you're face was as red as a cherry blossom when he said his name…"

"K-Kaisetsu," Sakuya said realizing the big mistake she made, "I-It's not what you think!"

"If I remember correctly…" Kaisetsu said with a smirk, "'I'm better than that' were your words from before when I talked about you acting like you did just a moment ago. Sakuya…don't tell me!"

"Y-You keep your mouth shut!" Sakuya shouted while blushing, "It's not my fault Yoshino-kun was so hot!" She shouted before she immediately covered her mouth in regret.

"Hahahahaha!" Kaisetsu ended up letting out a howl of laughter, "I don't believe it! Sakuya! You _are_ like your father!"

"Stop laughing!" Sakuya shouted, "S-so what if I'm like my father?! You're no different than your daddy either, Kai! I still remember that day when you only woke up to the smell of my dad cooking dinner and nothing else!"

"Hey, sleeping is good for your body, Sakuya!" Kaisetsu shouted before she had a relaxed smile on her face, "Plus I like the feeling you get when you enter a dream."

"You're such a weirdo, Kai," Sakuya said glaring at Kaisetsu.

"Same to you, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said returning the same glare to the siren.

A tense moment of silence fell between the two before both of their intimidating faces eventually broke with their cheeks swelling up from the air of their contained laughter before that laughter broke out.

"Neither of us really has changed, have we?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Nope, but…I like it," Sakuya said, "After everything that happened in the past, it makes me happy seeing us both banter like this."

"Same," Kaisetsu said with a smile.

"So, what now?" Sakuya asked, "We won't be able to get any information about the fire."

"We might not have gotten crucial information, but we did get a lead," Kaisetsu said.

"A lead?" Sakuya asked.

"Remember what Yoshino said about the stolen Mizu Blade rumor?" Kaisetsu asked, "If that rumor is true, then my theory on Kadiri being connected to all of this might hold some merit of weight."

"You might be right," Sakuya said, "What other reason than money could a thief have to steal an old sword for?"

"But…how did that boy find out about that rumor in the first place?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Maybe we should ask him," Sakuya suggested.

"No, you would just fawn over him again," Kaisetsu said as she continued to think of a viable plan, "Perhaps we should go ask around the town. Someone has to know something, after all."

"Maybe," Sakuya said before a thought crossed her mind, "I wonder what Belle would do in this situation."

"How should I know?" Kaisetsu asked, "It's been so long a while since we last saw that girl."

"Yeah, I hope she's doing okay," Sakuya said looking down, "I know we haven't talked since…"

"No need to talk about that day," Kaisetsu interrupted, "I don't know what Belle would do in this situation, but I hope she hasn't dragged anyone into whatever she's planned on doing."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Seno Forest~~_

Belle and Ackmor were traveling through the area of the burnt down forest.

"Whew, it's a relief that the ash in the air resided," Belle said, "I was afraid I'd have to wear my gas mask again."

"Belle, are you sure it's a good idea for us to be out here?" Ackmor asked staring down at the black, lifeless tree stumps.

"Why do you ask that?" Belle asked.

"Well this place was being guarded by marines," Ackmor said, "We were lucky enough that the marine we encountered was drunk and simply let us by when we said we were part of the investigation team."

"Yeah that guy was a dumbass," Belle said with a cheeky grin, "Wonder how many people like him I'll encounter on this journey. Think I should keep a track record of that, Acky?"

"Belle, this is serious," Ackmor said, "We're in a restricted area. If we get caught, we might get a severe punishment."

"Aw, don't worry about that," Belle said, "If the marines catch us, then we'll run. Simple as that."

"Run?" Ackmor asked.

"Um, yeah," Belle said surprised that Ackmor didn't know this, "I may be a pirate, but I don't plan on outright fighting marines and grabbing attention to myself so early."

"A pirate?" Ackmor asked.

"That's right," Belle said before she realized something, "Oh shoot! I forgot to tell you what exactly _I_ plan to do during our memory hunt!"

"And what is that?" Ackmor asked.

"Hehee," Belle chuckled maniacally before she stood on a tree stump in a dramatic pose, "My ultimate goal is to visit every single island in the whole world with my most powerful crew of pirates! Neat isn't it?"

"It's an interesting goal and all, but what do you plan on doing afterwards?" Ackmor asked.

"Dunno," Belle answered quickly, "I haven't planned that far ahead, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

"And what about these powerful crewmembers of yours?" Ackmor asked.

"Well, obviously they've got to be the coolest people I've ever known," Belle said, "They also have to be either super strong or really smart or, better yet, both."

"Having people like that sounds like a good thing," Ackmor said.

"It sure is," Belle said, "I can already see it now. Myself along with 14 of my most trusted pirate brethren on the most thrilling adventure known to all of man!"

"Hm…so I'm going to be a part of this adventure of yours?" Ackmor asked.

"Of course!" Belle said jumping off the stump, "I did make a promise with you and when it comes to promises, I'm such a relentless completionist."

"But isn't there a saying about promises?" Ackmor asked, "Like 'Don't make promises you can't keep' sorta saying?"

"….That's…" Belle said as her face suddenly became emotionless for a split second, but long enough for Ackmor to notice, before smiling again, "Exactly right, Acky. You don't make promises you can't keep. I, on the other hand, swear to fulfill promises under an oath."

"Um…Belle…" Ackmor said wanting to talk about the change in attitude Belle just had.

"But enough about me though," Belle interrupted, "We better hurry and find what we need here."

"I don't know…" Ackmor said unsure of himself, "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for here."

"Me neither," Belle said, "But we have to try and find at least one clue about your memories, and I think the river bank is our best bet," She added pointing at the dirty river stream.

"Why's that?" Ackmor asked.

"I found you washed up at a rocky area near the end of this river bank," Belle said.

"And I survived hitting one of those rocks?" Ackmor asked, "How did that happen?"

"No idea, but I intend to find out," Belle said as she and Ackmor followed the river current.

After a few minutes of searching, neither of them found anything.

"Nothing here either," Belle said.

"Do you think we're looking in the wrong spot?" Ackmor asked.

"No," Belle abruptly denied, "This is definitely the same river you floated on. That way is near the rocky area where I found you. Now we just need to figure out the how and why. Let's keep searching."

For the next 3 hours, Belle and Ackmor searched around the river bank, but still found nothing pertaining to a clue.

"Still nothing…" Belle groaned in frustration.

"How long have we been here, Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"I'd say around 3 hours more or less," Belle said.

"Well why don't we take a break?" Ackmor suggested.

"But I can't, Acky," Belle said, "Not while being nowhere near solving the mystery behind you."

"Who knows, maybe the answer will just happen to fall on our laps," Ackmor said.

"Hehe, nice sarcastic remark there," Belle said.

"Um…I was being serious," Ackmor said scratching his head.

"Whatever you two may be looking for, I advise you turn back now," A voice called from behind.

Ackmor and Belle stood up and turned around to Yoshino approaching them.

"Whoa, how'd he get in here?" Belle asked.

"The marines sure have issues with their men drinking on the job," Yoshino said, "He was slightly sober though so I doubt I could have gotten in a minute later."

"Who are you?" Ackmor asked.

"I'm Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino said.

"Yoshino," Belle asked finding his name bizarre, "A rather feminine name for a boy…if you are a boy, that is."

"What?!" Yoshino asked in shock, "Feminine?! Were you ever taught any self restraint?"

"Belle…was that really a good thing to say to a stranger?" Ackmor asked.

"Hey, I was just checking," Belle said, "I mean, you have that long hair and that female name…"

"…" Yoshino shook his head before letting out a sigh, "And here I thought I would be able to have a normal conversation with the two of you."

"Sorry about that," Ackmor said, "We didn't mean to offend, right Belle?"

"I mean, his name is feminine. You can't deny that," Belle said before Ackmor gave her a hard, elbow nudge, "I-I mean sorry for my comment. I tend to say whatever is on my mind."

"So I see," Yoshino replied, "In any case, what are the two of you doing here in this forest."

"We're looking for clues pointing to Acky's memories," Belle said.

"Acky?" Yoshino asked completely bewildered by the odd name.

"My name's actually Ackmor," Ackmor said, "Acky's her nickname for me."

"Sorry I asked…" Yoshino muttered feeling kind of sorry for Ackmor.

"So far, we're nowhere close to finding so much as a hint," Belle said, "This place is close to the area where I found Acky."

"You found him in this forest," Yoshino asked.

"Unconscious, if I might add," Belle replied.

"What are you looking for in a place like this, Yoshino?" Ackmor asked.

"I can't answer that," Yoshino said, "It's irrelevant information."

"Wait, but what about what we told you?" Belle asked.

"About Ackmor's memories?" Yoshino asked as Belle and Ackmor nodded in response, "That is relevant information for me since Ackmor being found in this forest connects with the forest fire that occurred a few nights back."

"It does?" Belle asked.

"I won't know for sure until I can get into the Chikai Mansion though," Yoshino said.

"Can't you just go in there?" Ackmor asked.

"If I could, I would have done so," Yoshino replied before an idea hit him, "Wait…I can go in…but a certain condition needs to be met."

"Whatever it is you have planned, keep us out of it," Belle said, "We don't want to go to that mansion?"

"But would you do it as a form of apology for making light of my own name given to me by my own mother?" Yoshino asked with a sly smirk.

"Ugh!" Belle flinched, "I-I said I was sorry!"

"Sometimes actions speak louder than words, Belle," Yoshino said.

"Damnit….okay, what do you need me to do?" Belle asked.

"First, do you know how to swim?" Yoshino asked.

"I always sucked at swimming back when I was a little girl," Belle said, "Now I just stay away from water, period."

"Good, then all you and Ackmor need to do is simply react to what I do next," Yoshino said.

"Huh," Belle asked.

"Nothing personal, Belle," Yoshino said with a smile before he pushed Belle into the river.

"WHOA! WHAT THE HELL?!" Belle screamed before she fell into the water.

"Belle!" Ackmor shouted in surprise before turning to Yoshino, "Why did you do that all of a sudden?!"

"You'd best fish her out if she's as bad with water as she said," Yoshino said, "I'm going to get the people who will 'escort' us into the mansion."

"Huh?" Ackmor asked.

"Just do as I say," Yoshino said firmly, "I promise you will both come out of this with your skins attached."

As Yoshino rushed off into the forest, Ackmor quickly took a dive into the river to find Belle sinking at the very bottom drowning.

Not too far away were a group of marines taking a break from their investigations.

"A full day and a half of searching and still no clues," An annoyed marines groaned while knocking the ash out of his shoes.

"I know…no amount of salary is worth this," A tired marine complained.

"Hey, did you hear about the rumor surrounding the Mayor?" A tall marine asked as he sat on a tree stump.

"You mean the one about him always being in his room like he's talking to someone during the night?" The tired marine asked.

"I wouldn't call that, talking," The tall marine said, "I was on duty at the mansion last week and I could hear faint sounds of yelling in the hallway where the Mayor's office is at."

"Last week?" The annoyed marine asked, "If it was last week then surely the entire force assigned here would have told us about it."

"Maybe you just imagined yelling noises because you were bored," The tired marine joked, "You're head's empty enough to have creativity anyway."

"Shut up!" The tall marine shouted angrily at the laughing marines.

"HEY!" Yoshino's voice suddenly shouted putting the marines on guard. The marines then looked in Yoshino's direction.

"Oh, just a kid," The tired marine said lowering his gun.

"How the hell did he get past the guards?!" The tall marine asked.

"…One of us is drunk on the job again, isn't he?" The annoyed marine asked before he spoke up at Yoshino, "Citizens are prohibited from this area, kid!"

"B-but, I need your help!" Yoshino shouted in a fake but convincingly pleading manner, "One of my friends fell into the river and she seems really hurt!"

The tired marine groaned, "Citizens who can't follow simple instructions. That's _obviously_ what I want to deal with today!"

"Quit your complaining," The tall marine said, "We all signed up for this job."

"We'll be right there!" The annoyed marine shouted as the three of them walked over to Yoshino.

"This way," Yoshino said hurriedly leading the way.

"This better not be a prank, kid," The annoyed marine warned.

Once Yoshino and the marines arrived back at the river, they saw Belle drenched in water coughing out the liquid she had inhaled into her mouth.

"Over there," Yoshino said pointing at Belle.

The marines rushed over to Belle's side to check for any fatal wounds.

"Thank goodness we got here in time," Yoshino said feeling relieved, but not of the fact that Belle is safe but that the marines are buying the story.

Belle, however, was absolutely furious with Yoshino, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, YOU JERK?!" She screamed, "I COULD HAVE DIED!"

"Belle, calm down," Ackmor said.

Yoshino's eyes widen when Belle started messing up his lie, "O-oh no! The ash must have caused her to go crazy! Do you think you can help her?"

"Go crazy, my ass," Belle muttered angrily.

"The three of you shouldn't have been here to begin with," The annoyed marine said, "Damnit, we got to call this in now. She might be at risk with all the ash that polluted the river."

"Alright, I'll call up the mansion and see if they can get some doctors to look over the girl," The tall marine said as he took out his Den Den Mushi to make the call.

"Oh, thank you so much," Yoshino said clasping his hands together in fake gratitude, "Marines truly aspire to help the innocent."

Belle gave Yoshino an irritated glare, " _He doesn't even give a shit about what he did to me. Oh, he is so getting it later!"_

"Don't think that flattery is going to get you off the hook," The tired marine, "You three still entered a restricted area unauthorized."

"What will you do to us?" Ackmor asked worriedly.

"Nothing major," The tall marine said finishing his call, "We're just going to ask you some questions and let you off with one warning."

"For your sakes, this better not happen again," The annoyed marine warned, "Now come on. The sooner we drop you off, the sooner we get back to work."

Belle, Ackmor, and Yoshino proceeded to follow the three marines out of the forest and to the Chikai Mansion. Belle was still shooting menacing glances at Yoshino, who was only feeling proud of himself and his lie, while Ackmor just stares at both of them worriedly.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Chikai Mansion~~_

Kota walked through the white, clean hallway of the 2nd floor.

"Why in the world was I called out during my break time? This had better be important," When he arrived in front of the door to an office, he saw a blond haired man wearing a white investigator's jacket with a small cigar resting in his mouth.

"He called you too, Fugaku?" The man asked.

"Apparently," Kota said facepalming, "And on my break of all times."

"Same here," The man said breathing out a puff of smoke, "Bet it's related to that fire a few nights back and the theft of the Mizu Blade."

"Do you think those two events are connected, Kaiju?" Kota asked.

The man named Kaiju took out a lighter and relit his cigar, "It's Toryuka. Now that we're back on duty, we're back to those damn formalities."

"Yeah, sorry," Kota said rubbing his head.

"But to answer your question…" Kaiju continued, "I have a feeling—"

"AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU FIND A TRAIL!" Screamed a voice from the other side of the door.

"Y-Yes, sir!" A frightened voice replied from the other side before a marine rushed out of the office in a hurry.

"Oh boy…" Kaiju groaned, "Of course the Mayor's none too happy about his prized possession being stolen."

"Ah, Fugaku, Toryuka, come in quickly," Spoke the voice that was screaming at the marine earlier.

Kota and Kaiju wasted no time entering the office and took their place in front of a bald man who had a thin mustache and goatee.

"You summoned us, Mayor Sadow?" Kaiju asked.

"Yes," The man named Sadow replied, "I'll be blunt: I am not happy in the slightest. I'm sure you've both heard already about the theft of my family's prized possession, the Mizu Blade."

"Yes, it was stolen during the night of the sudden forest fire," Kota said, "That was what I was told on the Den-Den Mushi call."

"That sword is a treasure to my ancestors," Sadow said, "Many times it was the prime target for many thieves, pirates, and thugs, but for the past century, no one was able to even get close to the Mizu Blade until now. Hence the reason why I am so furious!" He said slamming his fists on his table.

"Then I am assuming you didn't call us here for nothing then," Kota said.

"Correct," Sadow said, "I want the two of you to remain on standby in case the thief returns to steal another one of my prized possessions. The investigation of Senu Forest is almost finished, but no clues have been reported to me as of yet."

"If I may interrupt, sir," Kaiju said, "I believe I have a theory on why the fire happened."

"Yes?" Sadow asked, "Go on, Toryuka."

"I believe that fire happened by pure accident and nothing else," Kaiju said.

"By accident?" Sadow asked standing up in pure disbelief, "What sort of nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Please, allow me to finish, sir," Kaiju said before he continued, "That fire may have been a complete accident, but it was exactly what our thief wanted: a perfect distraction to allow him to escape the mansion or even the island with ease. So, in other words, the fire and the theft occurring at the same time was pure coincidence."

"Why do you call it that?" Kota asked.

"All of the accounts of the people who saw the fire occur tell the same story," Kaiju said, "There was a sudden explosion that shook the entire island. Now ask yourself this: Do forest fires usually start with an explosion?"

"I get where you're going with this," Kota said, "Are you suggesting that the fire was started by someone unrelated to the theft?"

"That's what I think," Kaiju said, "But I won't know for sure until I actually find the person who did it. Sir, did the patrol unit in that area report any suspicious activity leading up to the explosion?"

"No," Sadow said, "No one is ever allowed into any of the forests without authorization."

"Then that leaves us with two explanations for the explosion occurring," Kaiju said, "Either the culprit brought explosive tools and used them to cause the explosion from outside the forest, or the culprit somehow caused the explosion while inside the forest."

"But if the latter occurred, wouldn't the culprit be dead then," Kota asked, "An explosion as big as the one that night is impossible to avoid when in close proximity of it."

"And the culprit surely would have been caught by patrol if they did the former action," Sadow said, "It's impossible for one person to carry enough explosives into a forest without getting caught."

"True, both explanations seem to be impossible," Kaiju said.

"But if what you say is true," Kota said, "Why would the culprit cause an explosion in the first place? Why put yourself at risk only to do nothing but bring attention to yourself?"

"Only the culprit knows the answer to that," Kaiju said with a shrug.

"Only the culprit…" Kota muttered to himself before a realization suddenly hit him.

" _Man, this kid has several burn marks on him,"_ Were Kota's words back when he and his mother took Ackmor in after Belle brought him to his home, " _Guess he was in a bad spot when that forest fire hit."_

"Fugaku, what is the matter?" Sadow asked.

"N-nothing, sir," Kota said, but he had a feeling Ackmor was connected to this, "Don't tell me…"

"In any case," Kaiju continued, "The only clue we have at the moment is that strange weapon that was found washed up at the river the day after the fire. Is there any information on that front?"

"Nothing as of yet," Sadow said, "No traces of the owner nor any clues on what kind of weapon it even is. Right now, we have it locked up in the weapon lab. To think we'd find such a thing without its owner…what in the world is happening on this island?"

That was when Sadow's Den Den Mushi rang, "Yes?" He asked after picking it up. He then breathed out an annoyed sigh after listening to the other line, "…Bring them in…" He hung up on the line and placed a hand over his forehead.

"Trouble?" Kota asked.

"Just a nuisance," Sadow said, "Apparently, three citizens failed to follow simple orders to stay away from the investigation scene. Would you two mind talking with them and give them the usual warning? I have some calls to make."

"Yes, mayor," Kota said as he and Kota left the room, but not before feeling the temperature rise randomly.

"Damn…when did it get hot all of a sudden?" Kaiju asked fanning himself.

"Yeah…it's not summer yet so we shouldn't be having this kind of heat," Kota said before something came across his mind, _"Unless…"_

"Maybe the air conditioner is on the fritz," Kaiju said, "Come on, let's meet those troublemakers."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Udeno Town~~_

Kaisetsu and Sakuya lifelessly walked back to the center fountain area where they first met.

"Dead end after dead end…" Kaisetsu said.

"Hey, maybe we should call it a day, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said feeling her legs aching from walking around before she sat down on the fountain, "We haven't sat down anywhere for hours."

"You should have told me," Kaisetsu replied, "You know I forget about everything else if I focus hard on one task."

"So that habit of yours hasn't died either," Sakuya said before she noticed six people walking by, two of which she recognized, "Ah, is that my Prince Yoshino-kun?!"

"Belle?" Kaisetsu asked noticing Belle along with Yoshino and Ackmor.

"And who is that…dashing young man with them?" Sakuya asked feeling her heart speed up at the sight of Ackmor.

"Cut that nonsense out, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, "More importantly, why are they being escorted by marines?"

"Hey, maybe we should ask them," Sakuya said standing up and running ahead towards Belle, Yoshino, and Ackmor.

"S-Sakuya, wait!" Kaisetsu said rushing after the girl.

"Yoshino-kun!" Sakuya shouted, "Belle-san!"

Yoshino's spine shivered at the sound of the familiar voice, "Oh no…"

"Wait, that voice," Belle said before she turned around to see Sakuya and Kaisetsu running up to them, "Kai~! Saki~!"

"Belle, what kind of trouble did you get into?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Well…it's a long story," Belle said.

"Are you two friends with these three?" The annoyed marine asked.

"Um, something like that," Kaisetsu said, "Would it be alright for us to accompany them to make sure they stay out of trouble?"

"Stay out of trouble?" Belle asked before Yoshino elbowed her for silence.

While the three marines talked over Kaisetsu's request, Sakuya sneaked in between Ackmor and Yoshino and held both of their arms.

"Two darling princes," She cooed, "It's like a dream come true~!"

"Hey, hands off!" Yoshino shouted stepping away from the girl.

"But Yoshino-kun, what about our fated love?!" Sakuya cried.

"Fated love?" Yoshino asked with a scoff, "I already forgot your name and for a good reason. Just drop it already. I'm not your 'hot prince'."

"Fated love?" Ackmor asked, "Hot prince?"

Sakuya gasped before she clasped her hands together before turning to Ackmor with a smile, "At last, a handsome prince who finally understands!"

"Actually, I don't understand," Ackmor said rubbing his head.

"Might I have your name, my darling prince?" Sakuya asked bending her knee to Ackmor like a chivalrous knight.

"Will you cut it out with the prince nonsense?!" Yoshino shouted.

"Um…Belle calls me Ackmor," Ackmor answered.

"Ackmor…Ackmor-kun," Sakuya whispered before she placed her hands over her heart, "Such a lovely name for a handsome man such as yourself."

"Um…thanks?" Ackmor asked.

Belle and Kaisetsu were simply listening to the three while giggling.

"Wow…so Sakuya became like her father?" Belle asked.

"I always had a feeling the habits of that father of hers would rub off on her," Kaisetsu said with an amused smirk, "Ever since she did that in front of me, I guess she had given up her proper facade."

"By the way, what are you and Saki doing her, Kai?" Belle asked curiously.

"Saki's here for the men, but I'm in the middle of looking for someone," Kaisetsu said, "What about you? You're into getting laid by multiple men now?"

Belle took a step back in shock blushing, "K-Kai, where did that come from?! I would never!"

"I mean…you're with those two boys, you're wet and dirty, those three marines aren't happy to bring you in, and you have a suspicious, white cloth on your head," Kaisetsu said as Belle shook furiously, "I'd like to believe you're not that kind of person, but…"

"I AM NOT!" Belle shouted.

"Okay," Kaisetsu said before she let out an amused giggle.

"As usual, you have an odd way of messing with people for your enjoyment, Kai," Belle said as she remembered why she was really wet and dirty, " _That Yoshino is so gonna pay for this!"_

"We've decided," The tired marine spoke up getting the five people's attention, "We'll let you two girls in as long as you two don't cause any trouble."

"Of course," Kaisetsu said.

"And about your bow, kid," The tall marine said, looking at Yoshino.

"Oh, my bow?" Yoshino asked, "It's just an antique that I was asked to keep safe."

"An antique?" The tired marine asked.

"Yes, see," Yoshino said showing the marines the side that had now strings onto it like regular bows do, "A bow without any strings is just a useless stick. Not to mention that this particular bow is too old to be used as a weapon, but if you insist, I shall allow you to confiscate it."

"Forget it," The annoyed marine said, "The mansion's packed with guards anyway. What good would an old stick do?"

"That is a fair point…" The tall marine said, "Alright, you can enter as well."

"And lady," The tired marine said, turning to Sakuya, "Aren't you hot with those earmuffs on? I know I am with this sudden heat."

"I'll be fine," Sakuya said fixing her earmuffs, "Thanks for the concern."

"Well, everyone checks out," The annoyed marine said, "Now we can get back to our post. Yay for more investigating, am I right…" He asked sarcastically as the three marines began to walk back to their posts.

"I get the feeling that man doesn't like his job," Ackmor pointed out.

"Excellent deduction, Mr. Detective," Yoshino said.

"Yoshi, be nice to Acky," Belle said not liking the sarcastic remark.

"What did you just call me?" Yoshino asked.

"Yoshi, that's my nickname for you," Belle said.

"I never agreed to have a dumb nickname like that!" Yoshino shouted.

"As usual, Belle picks out the strangest nicknames," Kaisetsu said giggling.

"And I never wanted your permission after the way you pushed me in the river," Belle said.

"I'll pay you back for what I did later, just don't call me that ridiculous name," Yoshino said.

"Yoshi-kun…" Sakuya said as her face lit up at the cuteness of the name.

"Don't even think about it!" Yoshino said, glaring at Sakuya.

"Aren't we supposed to meet with some people in the mansion?" Ackmor asked.

"You are?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yeah," Belle said, "I'm supposed to meet a few doctors thanks to Yoshi."

"Once they give you the okay, you won't see me again since you hate me so much," Yoshino said, "Let's go. Best not to keep the people waiting," He said as the five started walking into the mansion, but not before they noticed the strange heat.

"Oh no…not the heat," Sakuya whined before she took out a water bottle, "Good thing I brought these emergency water bottles."

"Emergency water bottles?" Yoshino asked.

"Now that you mention it, this place is oddly hot for a well paid mansion," Kaisetsu said.

"Really?" Ackmor asked finding it odd that he wasn't feeling a thing.

"Hehe, the owner of this place must be royally pissed," Belle snorkeled mischievously.

"So you are the troublemakers," A voice said as the group turned to Kaiju and Kota with a group of doctors behind them.

"Belle, Ackmor?" Kota asked surprised to see Belle and Ackmor in the mansion.

"Hi, Kota," Belle said waving at him.

"You know them?" Kaiju asked.

"Yes, they were staying over at my place for a few days," Kota said.

"Our friend here needs a check up from the doctors after falling into a contaminated river," Yoshino said.

"We heard someone will need a check up," Kaiju said, "Come with us. We'll get you checked up quick and send you off with a warning."

"Of course," Yoshino said confident in his lie.

"What a snarky little Yoshi…" Belle growled which made Kaisetsu and Sakuya giggle.

"Well, let's look on the bright side, Belle," Ackmor said.

"What brightside?" Belle asked.

"You're not sick and you met up with your friends," Ackmor said, "I'd say that our memory hunt led us to a good outcome overall," He said as he placed his hand on Belle's shoulder.

Belle felt a sudden surge of burning heat on her shoulder before she instinctively jumped away from Ackmor, "OOOOW!"

Everyone stopped and looked at Belle with confusion and worry written on their faces.

"Something wrong, Belle?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Ackmor…you're so hot!" Belle shouted.

"Hot?" Ackmor asked.

"Belle, you tangerine demon!" Sakuya screamed angrily, "Ackmor-kun is my prince! Go find your own!"

"What are you guys on about now?" Yoshino asked.

"No, I mean…" Belle said feeling the burning on her hand, "You are literally hot, Ackmor! When you touched me, it felt like I was touching a damn oven!"

" _It's just as I thought…"_ Kota said to himself as he watched Ackmor stare at his own hands.

"You had already put the pieces together, huh?" Kaiju whispered to Kota, "I have my share of assumptions too now."

"What should we do?" Kota whispered back.

"Nothing rash for now," Kaiju said, "But that boy might be our prime suspect. You handle the questioning. I'll rally the men in case there are any...problems."

Kota had a hesitant moment of silence before nodding and saying, "Alright, but wait on my signal," Once Kaiju left, Kota spoke up to the rest of the group, "Whatever the problem may be, I'm sure we'll figure that out as well, everyone. Let's hurry up with the check up, shall we."

"Certainly," Yoshino said before he turned back to Ackmor, "I don't know what your deal is, but try not to get attention to yourself. My lie is only as strong as its participants."

"Since when did we became your participants?!" Belle asked.

"Enough," Kaisetsu said, "We'll deal with Ackmor and this phenomenon later. Let's not keep Kota waiting."

With that settled, the five decided to quietly follow Kota through the mansion. As they walked through the halls, the group passed by a certain, locked room. Inside that room was the mysterious weapon that was found in the river by the marines sitting against a stand until it suddenly began to glow red. The heat it generated was so high that all the other metal weapons in the room began to melt.

* * *

 **Jurabi: Alright, we are finally getting close to some conflict folks. Sorry for all the fucking diologue in the past two chapters. I never do well with beginning arcs and setting up the start of major plots, but we're finally getting their. I'm partially done with the next chapter, but it should be finished at some point this month at the earliest. I'm not sure about the latest time though, but I ask that you bear with me a little longer.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Final character introduction and the story will get started! Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	8. Chikai Arc Chp 3: True Nature

**Jurabi: Heeeeeeelloooooooooo~! This is Espada D. Jurabi bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. Yes! Finally! I've finished this fucking chapter at long last! Ugh, I really, really hate chapters like these that just take forever to write and plan out. Especially when it's at the beginning of your story. I have never been a fan of beginning arcs where you have to set the character and plot up. It always bugs me when I feel like everything I'm writing just isn't fitting right, but I think it's worked now.**

 **And also...um there's another reason why this chapter took so long. See, I was almost done with this chapter a month back. But then all of a sudden my computer started fucking up and all of my files, including the one that had this chapter was deleted. So not only did I have to get my dad fixing it for almost a week or 2, but I had to write this chapter all the fucking way over again. When this happened, I just wasn't in the mood to write and it really got on my nerves. But I managed to get this chapter out, so it will really suck if you guys end up not liking it. All that work and patience for nothing...anyways enjoy.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates**

 _ **"Saki's here for the men, but I'm in the middle of looking for someone," Kaisetsu said, "What about you? You're into getting laid by multiple men now?"**_

 _ **Belle took a step back in shock blushing, "K-Kai, where did that come from?! I would never!"**_

 _ **"I mean…you're with those two boys, you're wet and dirty, those three marines aren't happy to bring you in, and you have a suspicious, white cloth on your head," Kaisetsu said as Belle shook furiously, "I'd like to believe you're not that kind of person, but…"**_

 _ **"I AM NOT," Belle shouted.**_

 **And now...back to making oaths...**

* * *

 **Chikai Arc Chp. 3: True Nature**

At the Chikai Mansion, Belle and co. were sitting in the lounge with Kota. Belle had just finished her "check-up", but was still angry nonetheless.

"Ugh, I hate check-ups!" Belle shouted.

"Look on the bright side, Belle," Sakuya spoke up, "At least you didn't catch any colds."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Belle said bitterly.

"Is complaining the only thing you do?" Yoshino asked irritably.

"Can it, Yoshi!" Belle shouted, "Don't think I'll forget what you did to me!"

"Will you stop calling me that stupid name?!" Yoshino asked angrily before sighing, "Forget it…there's no point talking to someone with such a thick skull."

"What did you say?!" Belle asked, royally pissed at Yoshino's comment.

"Keep your voices down," Kota said firmly, "Need I remind you that you are in the Chikai Mansion. Mayor Sadow does not take kindly to guests making such a ruckus."

"Yes, I am very sorry for our rude behavior, Mr. Fugaku," Yoshino said.

Belle silently scoffed at the boy's sudden change in attitude, " _Look at him acting like he's all that because of a dumb lie. He'll learn soon enough what it means to mess with me!"_

Ackmor, however, wasn't fully paying attention to the banter that went on beside him. Instead he was staring at his own hands remembering how he burnt Belle's skin with them when he touched her. His hand was no longer burning hot, but the fact that it became hot worried Ackmor.

"Is there something wrong, Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked immediately understanding the troubled look on Ackmor's face.

"Uh," Ackmor perked his head up when Kaisetsu's voice snapped him out of his train of thought, "Oh, n-nothing."

"Are you sure, my prince?" Sakuya asked, letting out a lustful smirk, "If you need a lap to rest your gorgeous head on, I am more than happy to offer mine!"

Kaisetsu punched Sakuya's arm causing the siren to yell in pain and scolded her by saying, "The least you could do is show some decency, Sakuya."

"Don't worry about me, you two," Ackmor said, attempting to reassure them, "I'm fine."

"Hm…if you say so," Sakuya said.

" _Still…"_ Ackmor said internally, " _What was that heat surge, and why did it occur on my hands for a brief moment?"_

"Now then," Kota spoke up, "Before we give you a warning for trespassing into Chikai Forest, there's something that I would like to talk to Ackmor about."

"Acky?" Belle asked, wondering if something was wrong.

"Me?" Ackmor asked, equally concerned.

"Yes," Kota said with a nod, "My mother and I didn't mention this to you, but while we were tending to your wounds when Belle brought you to our house…"

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~A Few Days Ago: Fugaku Residence~~_

" _Hey Mom," Kota said to his mother, both of them watching over the unconscious Ackmor, "This boy…isn't his body getting unusually hot?"_

" _He is," Amaya replied, completely puzzled by such a phenomenon._

 _Curious, Kota pulled up Ackmor's shirt to be surprised to see nothing but burn marks across his abdomen, "Man, this kid has several burn marks on him. Guess he was in a bad spot when that forest fire hit."_

" _I'll go get some cold towels and ice," Amaya said, turning towards the door, "Kota, try to keep the covers off of him and keep him cool until I come back."_

" _Okay, Mom," Kota said._

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Present Time~~_

"My body was…getting hotter?" Ackmor asked.

"Wait, do you mean getting hotter as in literally…or metaphorically?" Sakuya asked.

"I don't understand how you think that is the perfect question to even ask, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, rolling her eyes.

"It was a strange occurrence," Kota said, "Even if you were sick, your body has no reason to be as hot as it was at the time."

"Is that what's been happening to me?" Ackmor silently asked himself.

"That's not all," Kota said, "There have been reports of odd heat surges throughout the island. All of this started the day after the forest fire."

"What exactly are you getting at?" Yoshino asked.

"I want to ask you something, Ackmor," Kota said, staring directly at Ackmor with a serious yet foreboding look—as if a fortune teller was about to explain an bad omen to an unfortunate man.

"Y-yes?" Ackmor asked, curious about what the question might be; however at the same time, he couldn't help but feel anxious because of Kota's expression.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything that happened before you lost your memory?" Kota asked.

"…No," Ackmor replied, his face clearly painting his dissatisfaction of having to answer that question with the same answer, "No matter how hard I try, I just can't remember."

"Yeah," Belle said, cutting in, "We even tried to go to the last place Acky lost his memory. That's why we were in Senu Forest."

"I see," Kota said still feeling troubled by something.

"Why do you ask a question like that, Kota?" Kaisetsu asked, "Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes, there is," Kota admitted, "For the past few hours, we've been trying to make heads and tails of the situation surrounding the forest fire incident. We still don't know who caused it, and we can only make theories as to why they started it."

"Theories?" Sakuya asked.

"Kaiji, the man you just met at the entrance, believe that the forest fire happened by pure accident," Kota said, "His theory seemed viable; however, what's bothering me the most is the timing and the fact that forest fire caught so many people's attention."

"Like a distraction?" Belle asked, tilting her head as she attempted to puzzle out Kota's explanation.

"A distraction from what?" Ackmor asked.

"The theft of the Mizu Blade, perhaps?" Yoshino asked, getting everyone's attention.

"The what?" Sakuya asked, finding no familiarity with the name.

"You're talking about the old sword that is put on display here in Chikai Mansion?" Kaisetsu said.

"So you've heard the rumors as well," Kota said.

"Wait, I'm a bit lost here," Belle said, scratching her head as she had lost track of the conversation.

"We were planning on releasing this information to the public at a later date, but during the forest fire that night, the Mizu Blade was stolen from its pedestal," Kota said.

"So the rumors were true," Yoshino muttered, before he let out a frustrated growl, " _Damnit, I have to leave to find the thief as soon as possible. I can't afford to waste anymore time here."_

"But how is a sword related to the fire and Acky?" Belle asked, still not fully understanding what they were talking about.

"Do you…believe I somehow caused that fire, Kota?" Ackmor asked, fully understanding where Kota was going with this conversation.

"What?" Yoshino asked, surprised by Ackmor's sudden question.

"To be honest, I have my fair share of suspicious on you, Ackmor," Kota said, though he regretted making that statement, "Out of the list of suspects in my head, you stand out the most if I take the following sequences of events into consideration: Belle finding you in the forest the day after, the discovery of the burn marks on your body, and the strange but sudden heat surges."

"There were burn marks on me?" Ackmor asked, Kota nodded in response.

"So is that why you think Ackmor is a suspect?" Belle asked, slightly bothered by Kota's accusation.

Ackmor noticed that Belle had stopped calling him by nickname. He wondered why she suddenly said his given name like that.

"That is what I am saying, yes," Kota answered.

"Well I'm sorry, but I disagree," Belle said, her irritation showing little by little with each passing second.

Kaisetsu and Sakuya both glanced at each other after Belle's statement, both of them letting out proud smirks—as if something about what Belle said made them feel a sense of nostalgia.

"You disagree?" Yoshino asked, caught off guard by Belle's sudden declaration, "Is there something in Kota's explanation that you somehow don't understand?"

"No, I understand it perfectly—"

"I doubt that," Yoshino interrupted.

"—but the problem I have is that it's too early to pin Ackmor as a suspect," Belle explained.

"With the right evidence, it can't be too early to point out a suspect," Kota rebutted, "Think about it, Belle. Don't you find it odd that you found Ackmor where he was the day before the forest fire?"

"I didn't," Belle said, her eyes gazed on the red carpet floor, hints of denial written on her expression, "The thought never occurred to me."

"You're not alone there," Kota said, "I only found the events puzzling because I saw the burn marks on Ackmor."

"Okay, so if I am a suspect, what will you do with me?" Ackmor asked.

"We'll need to somehow make you remember the events of the forest fire night," Kota explained, "What will happen to you afterwards will depend solely on what you remember."

"'What will happen to you afterwards,'?" Sakuya asked, not feeling any good vibes from that quote, "What do you mean by that?"

"You're trying to determine if Ackmor committed a crime," Kaisetsu concluded, finally finding the right time to speak, "Am I right?"

"That is the gist of it, yes," Kota said.

"You're going to arrest Ackmor?!" Sakuya asked, her voice struck with worry because she had a feeling that the conversation might get to this point.

"Only if we determine whether or not he caused the fire intentionally or not," Kota said, assuring Sakuya that he has no plans to jump to conclusions.

"And if I did intentionally cause the fire?" Ackmor asked.

"Then you will be tried for that crime," Kota answered, "And maybe for assisting in the theft of the Mizu Blade."

"Are you serious?!" Belle asked, absolutely appalled that Kota would suggest that Ackmor would not only intentionally cause a forest fire but also aid in the theft of an old relic.

"As serious as I can possibly be," Kota replied, turning to Ackmor he then asked, "What do you think, Ackmor? Are you willing to undergo a memory inspection?"

"A memory inspection?" Ackmor asked.

"We'll call in an expert on cases like yours to run a full examination," Kota explained, "Once we determine what's wrong, we'll be able to—"

"I don't think this is a good idea," Belle interrupted.

"Why not, Belle?" Kota asked, surprised that Belle would disagree to this.

"I'm surprised that you're against this," Yoshino pointed out, "Weren't you two in that forest specifically because of the boy's memory issue?"

"Yes, but I don't think this is how Ackmor should get those memories back," Belle said, "Especially if he's being suspected for a crime he might not have committed."

"Really?" Yoshino asked, dumbfounded by this girl's train of thought, "Are you actually going to go against an investigation like this?"

"I have my share of suspicions as well when it comes to this situation around Ackmor being a culprit," Kaisetsu said.

"Same," Sakuya said, "My lovely prince Ackmor does not seem like the kind of person who would set a forest on fire."

"I'm afraid that might not be the case," Kota said.

"Why not?" Belle asked.

"Are you aware of how amnesia works?" Kota asked, taking the silence from the group as a no before continuing, "Along with the person's memories, their personality disappears when the head receives enough trauma. This is only an assumption, but the Ackmor before us may not be the same Ackmor who caused the fire."

"But that is just an assumption," Belle said, "I think that—"

"You want me to take the memory inspection, is that right?" Ackmor asked, interrupting Belle.

"Ackmor?" Belle asked, turning to Ackmor with shocked expression.

"That's right," Kota said, "We'll have a few men escort you to the interrogation room."

"Alright, then," Ackmor said, "At first, I wasn't sure about doing this, but now that I know that there is a chance that I did start that fire to hurt other people, I can't ignore it."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kota said before giving the signal for Kaiju and his men to walk in.

Kaisetsu and Sakuya both found the fact that they were prepared in case an issue occurred to be troubling.

"You actually believe what Kota is saying, Ackmor?" Belle asked.

"Some of what he's saying," Ackmor answered, "I do."

"Even the fact that you might actually be a criminal?" Belle asked.

"If that is the truth," Ackmor said, letting out a relieved smile, "I'll at least be glad no one got hurt by my actions."

"There's still a chance that you might not be the one we're looking for and Kota was just exaggerating," Kaiju said, "Don't let this spook you, kid. You made the right choice here."

"But there's still more we haven't looked into," Belle brought up, not wanting to just give up on Ackmor.

"I appreciate the thought, Belle, but you and I both know that there is nothing else in that forest. We have no other option than this," Ackmor explained, seeing Belle make a frustrated expression, "Still…thanks for trying to stand up for me."

"It's what friends do for each other," Belle said, knowing that she has no choice but to let Ackmor do this.

"We're…friends?" Ackmor asked, finding that statement a bit overwhelming for reasons he cannot explain. However, he did feel a minor ping in his head, but not enough to get a reaction, " _Why does that make me feel happy?"_ He thought to himself.

Kaiju turned to two marines and gave them both instructions to escort Ackmor to an interrogation room.

"Well," Yoshino said, breaking the ice, "That was an unexpected turn of events."

"I'll say," Kaisetsu said, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"My darling prince Ackmor-kun is so brave to give himself up like that," Sakuya said, feeling her heart skip multiple beats, "But…I don't think I'll be able to live if he ends up being a criminal."

"Do you give every man you meet that title?" Yoshino asked, annoyed by the girl's obsession with men.

"Only the handsome ones," Sakuya said, smiling gleefully and blissfully.

"Please understand," Kota said, knowing that Belle was unhappy about Ackmor being taken away, "We'll make sure this process goes as smoothly and comfortably for Ackmor."

"Yeah, sure," Belle said sarcastically, "Up until you get what you want from him, right?"

"You have the wrong idea here," Kaiju said.

"I have doubt for you marines," Belle corrected, "That's what I have. The second you get the information you need, whether it be evidence of his "crime" or not, you're gonna send Ackmor to prison: This is how marines work nowadays."

"Okay, how long are you going to defend this "Ackmor" person?" Yoshino asked, standing up from his chair with no intent on listening to Belle's nonsense any further, "Because you're really starting to tick me off here."

"Oh boy…" Kaisetsu said, worried that this argument might get ugly.

"I am trying to help out a clearly troubled individual," Belle said.

"What you're actually doing is defending a potential criminal, Belle," Yoshino argued, "You heard it from Kota: That Ackmor probably isn't the real one in personality. Chances are he's a pyromaniac and once he gets his memory back, we'll be hearing endless laughter day and night."

"And what qualifies you as a person who understands Ackmor?" Belle asked.

"Nothing," Yoshino answered, "Just stating cold, hard facts. I would ask that same question to you, Belle. What did you call him? Your "friend"?" He asked, making a scrunched, confused face because of the friend part, "And you've known him for only a day or two? Don't tell me you gave him your address and full ID card. That would take a special kind of stupid."

"Okay, first off," Belle began, annoyed by what Yoshino had dared to say to her face, "What Kota has been saying was nothing but pure speculation. That's my problem with this: I don't do "speculation"," She said before pointing at Yoshino, "Second, I called him a friend to give him reassurance. I'm actually more picky and choosy when it comes to friends. Ackmor was just a special case."

"Pfft, special case?" Yoshino asked, absolutely baffled by what he was hearing.

As Belle and Yoshino continued arguing, Kaiju and Kota moved into another room to whisper to each other.

"This isn't going well," Kaiju said.

"I didn't expect Belle to be so heavily against this," Kota said, "Those people are lucky that we haven't harmed them at all."

"Still, I can understand why the lass would be so vehement towards us marines," Kaiju said, "Lately, we've been so jumpy when it comes to investigational cases, and with the big case that the higher ups are more focused on…"

"You mean _that_ case?" Kota asked, "I thought it was just a rumor."

"Same," Kaiju said, "But you know how it is. Those damn Fleet Admirals love their secrets."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Ackmor was being escorted to an interrogation room with one marine soldier in front of him and another behind him.

Ackmor couldn't stop thinking about what Kota said about him being a different person with memories than what he is now, "But what if I'm no different…?"

"You say something?" The marine in front of Ackmor asked.

"N-Nothing," Ackmor replied quickly and frantically.

Ackmor did not notice that they had passed by the sealed door that Ackmor walked past when he entered the building with the others. That was when the heat surge from earlier began to emanate from the door and Ackmor's arms.

"Hey, is it just me or is it getting hot?" The marine behind Ackmor asked, tugging on his shirt's collar.

"Yeah," The other marine in front of Ackmor replied, fanning himself, "Must be the AC breaking again. We called a mechanic to look into it so we won't be having this issue for long."

Ackmor then stopped all of a sudden with his eyes widened.

"Hm?" The marine behind Ackmor noticed that he stopped, "Hey, is something wrong, kid?"

"The Black Thorn Assassinations…" Ackmor muttered.

"What?" The marine in front asked.

The marine behind walked up to Ackmor, "Alright, enough mumbling. The sooner we get to—" He touched Ackmor's shoulder, but felt as if his hand was going to melt when contact was made, "—AAH!" He screamed, stumbling backwards while holding his burnt hand.

"Whoa, what happened?" The marine asked, in shock after witnessing his partner scream in pain.

"This kid…" The marine said, nursing his burnt hand, "He feels like a burning oven."

"I know what I need to do now," Ackmor said, turning to the steel door he passed and walked towards it, much to the marine's alarm.

"Hey!" The marine with the burnt hand shouted, "You're not allowed in there!"

Ackmor didn't listen to him. He had a serious look on his face as if he was planning to hunt down a dangerous person. He placed his hand on the door handle which began to heat up from Ackmor's hand touching it.

Quickly having enough of what he was seeing, the other marine who did not touch Ackmor trained his rifle on the heated boy, "Step away from that door, now!" He commanded, "I cannot guarantee your safety if you open it!"

Ackmor treated the two marines as if they weren't there and turned the doorknob.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

"Do you even understand what you're saying?" Yoshino asked, completely baffled by Belle's argument.

"I'd question your ability to comprehend a person's point, Yoshino," Belle replied, "Since you insist upon ignoring everything I've said for your own benefit."

"You know what?" Yoshino said, throwing his hands in the air slightly before slamming them on the sides of his abdomen indicating that he was done with this conversation, "I don't have time for this. I don't know about the rest of you, well actually I should say that I don't care, but I have something to get and somewhere to be. In other words, I don't want to waste another minute on this island."

"You're not going to wait to see what will happen to Ackmor?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Why should I?" Yoshino asked, "I've only just met him today. Whatever happens to him isn't my business."

"You got me and Ackmor into this mess!" Belle shouted angrily.

"And I have full confidence that you can get yourselves out of it," Yoshino said, patting Belle's shoulder while smirking, "Nothing personal, but I needed some form of information and I got it."

"Is it about that Mizu Blade?" Sakuya asked.

"…Something like that," Yoshino replied, "But that's more than I'm going to tell you."

"Hold on," Belle said, "I'm not going to just take that and let you leave us hanging like this."

"Well I'm not going to let you waste anymore of my time," Yoshino said, giving Belle a glare.

"Time for what, exactly?" Kaisetsu asked.

 ***BANG***

The group jumped at the sounds of a gun not too far from where they were.

"Was that the sound of a gun?" Sakuya asked, jumping from her chair.

"Wait, isn't Ackmor in that direction?" Belle asked, fear welling up inside her.

"Not to mention this heat surge that came out of nowhere," Kaisetsu commented, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Seriously?" Yoshino asked.

"Whatever it is—" Sakuya took a long sip of her water bottle before continuing, "—it can't be good."

"We should check to see if Ackmor is okay or not," Belle said, running down the hallway.

Kaisetsu and Sakuya immediately followed their friend while Yoshino stood and watched them leave.

Yoshino didn't want to involve himself, but something inside him was urging him to go, "Ugh…not again!" He growled, "Just when I am finally free to leave…" He then started running to follow the others, "Something interesting just _had_ to happen!"

Meanwhile, Kota and Kaiju both heard the gunshot immediately rushed down the hallway where the sound came from.

"This is the same direction Ackmor went," Kota said.

"You think he's resisting us now?" Kaiju asked.

"That would make no sense," Kota said, "He was so willing to cooperate with us before. Unless…" He then realized only one explanation, "He couldn't have gotten some of his memory back…did he?"

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile with Ackmor, the bullet shot at him connected with his head. At first, it looked like the marines had killed him, but that was when the bullet fell onto the ground, crushed and broken as if it had connected to a metal wall.

"Wh-what?!" The marine with the rifle shouted, "I know I shot him!"

Ackmor slowly turned to the marine who shot him, giving him a bone-chilling glare, "Did you just try to kill me?"

"I-I won't tell you again!" The marine shouted pointing the rifle at Ackmor again, "Step away from that door!"

"My weapon is behind this door," Ackmor said.

"W-weapon?" The marine with the burnt hand asked, "That thing we found at the river?"

"Ignitus," Ackmor said as he started opening the door, but heard the sound of the rifle trigger being slightly pulled, "I wouldn't shoot again if I were y—"

 ***BANG***

Another bullet was shot at him. This time it hit Ackmor in the eye, but it had no effect on him.

Ackmor let out a sigh, "I warned you," He said before he suddenly pulled the entire metal door out of its socket as if he had the strength of ten bulls.

The sight of Ackmor's strength first-hand frightened the marines to the point where they began to take steps back.

"What the hell kind of monster is he?" The marine with the burnt hand asked.

Ackmor turned his attention to the marine who shot him, "You shot at me twice," He said before he lifted the metal door in the air, "Clearly, you aren't the Black Thorn Assassin, but you're getting in my way, and the orders are to eliminate those who get in my way," In an instant, Ackmor close the distance between himself and the marine and crushed him with the metal door before he could even let out a scream.

The marine with the burnt hand could only watch in stunned silence as blood poured out from underneath the door where his comrade was crushed. He looked back up at Ackmor, who looked back at him with emotionless eyes—giving him the idea that this wasn't the first time Ackmor has killed someone.

"Would you like to die as well?" Ackmor asked, his voice menacing. He took the marine's terror-filled silence as a 'yes' and continued, "Leave or stay where you are. I don't care which."

The marine wasted no time running away in fear.

Ackmor then walked into the weapon lab in search for his weapon.

Inside the weapon lab, the first thing that caught Ackmor's attention was the red, sword that had a round shield attached to it.

Ackmor smiled before he grabbed a strong hold of the weapon. The heat surged disappeared as the weapon began to suddenly absorb it, "Ignitus," Ackmor said before he began to head towards the door with it.

He then started to remember his encounter on the night he lost his memory, " _That woman…"_ He thought to himself.

 _"I will let you live, boy, but remember this: You don't have to follow their orders like a machine."_

Ackmor angrily clenched his fists after he remembered those words his opponent that night said to him, "I'm more than just a machine…" He muttered to himself irritably.

"Ackmor!" A voice called from Ackmor's right side.

Ackmor turned to the source of the voice to see that Belle, Kaisetsu, Sakuya, and Yoshino had arrived at the hallway, each of them absolutely stunned and shocked at the sight of blood under the steel door.

"What happened here?" Yoshino asked.

"That weapon…" Kaisetsu said, staring at the sword and shield in Ackmor's hands. She was feeling an ominous ambiance emanating from that weapon.

"It's you four," Ackmor said, "Belle, Kaisetsu, Sakuya, and Yoshino. I hope you're not going to get in my way as well like this marine did."

"You killed someone?" Yoshino asked, wondering if the Ackmor in front of them is the same one they were talking to minutes ago.

"Ackmor-kun, are you feeling okay?" Sakuya asked, she found Ackmor's sudden change in character odd.

"You got your memories back, didn't you?" Belle asked, having a feeling that was the case.

"Some of them, yes," Ackmor answered, crossing his arms, "But not all. All I remember now is that I was sent on a mission."

"A…mission?" Yoshino asked.

"Whatever mission you've been given, did you really need to kill someone for getting in your way, Ackmor?" Belle asked.

"My orders were clear," Ackmor replied, "Find the Black Thorn Assassin and eliminate anyone who stands in my way."

"The Black Thorn Assassin?" Sakuya asked, confused by the name, "Why does that sound like that name was made up by a teenager?"

"Black Thorn…" Belle said, a memory of black thorns rushed through her mind before she snapped herself out of the trance, "I know what he's talking about—"

"Stop right there, Ackmor!" Kota shouted as he and Kaiju arrived with a squad of marines, all of them with guns trained on the group.

Kaiju was astonished by the blood pouring from underneath the steel door, "Did you do this, kid?"

"Yes, I did," Ackmor replied, "But only in retaliation."

"You killed one of our men?!" Kota asked, "How could you, Ackmor?! You were cooperating with us earlier!"

"Why are you so surprised?" Ackmor asked, "You said it yourself: 'Along with the person's memories, their personality disappears'. The Ackmor who cooperated with you isn't me right now."

"In that case, did you start the forest fire those two nights ago?" Kota asked.

"That forest fire is the result of a battle between me and a suspect of the Black Thorn Assassinations," Ackmor said, "I apologize if there were issues, but my opponent was rather strong. I had to use Ignitus' fire against her."

"Issues?!" Kota asked, "You frightened almost everyone in Chikai Island with that fire!"

"Listen, I don't have time to discuss this with any of you," Ackmor said bluntly, "The suspect is likely gone from this island along with that Mizu Blade you talked about earlier. The sooner I am able to leave, the better."

"You think we'll just let you walk away after what you've done?!" Kaiju asked, irritated at Ackmor's new attitude.

"Yes, I do," Ackmor said, "Unless you wish to meet the same fate as your comrade, then by all means."

"That's not going to intimidate us," Kota said, taking out his gatling gun, "I will only say this once: Surrender or we will fire upon you."

"Uh, I think we should get clear!" Yoshino said, realizing they were right behind Ackmor.

"Belle," Ackmor said, "You might want to do something to protect yourselves from this," He said before looking back at Kota, his shield ready, "I wouldn't fire if I were you."

"FIRE!" Kota shouted.

Countless bullets began to fly towards Ackmor, who simply lifted his shield. But instead of simply being blocked, the bullets were causing the shield to glow, as if they were activating something upon impact.

The bullets that didn't hit Ackmor were flying towards Belle and the others.

"Get behind me!" Belle said, placing her hands on the ground, "Kessho Kessho no: Crystal Wall!" She shouted as a purple, crystal-made wall sprung from the ground blocking the remaining.

"Whoa…" Sakuya gasped in awe of Belle's power, "Was that a devil fruit power, Belle?!"

"…Yes," Belle said, she wanted to talk about it, but she was more concerned for Ackmor's change, "I don't like this Ackmor at all."

"Belle?" Kaisetsu asked, watching her friend stand up and release the crystal wall after the bullet hell ended.

When the marines ran out of ammo, Ackmor dropped his shield and sent them a foreboding glare, "You shouldn't have done that," He said before he placed his sword in a slot on his shield, making it transform into a battle axe. Ackmor swung his charging axe ready to send a powerful attack at the marines; however, the momentum he had with his axe suddenly stopped.

"That's enough, Ackmor."

Ackmor turned and saw Belle holding back his axe with only one arm, surprisingly. "Don't get in my way, Belle," Ackmor said, giving her a cold, emotionless glare, "My orders were clear."

"Did you already forget about our conversation from before?" Belle asked, "How you are a part of my adventure now?"

"How is that conversation relevant to what's happening now?" Ackmor asked.

"It's relevant because what you're doing is on me too," Belle said, "I made an oath to you, and I intend on keeping it—even if it means teaching you a lesson or two."

"Let go of Ignitus, Belle," Ackmor said, annoyed that Belle still wasn't letting go of his weapon.

"Is that how you should be speaking to your captain?" Belle asked, her legs beginning to be enveloped in purple crystal.

"Captain?" Ackmor asked.

"Let's have a talk alone in Senu Forest, shall we?" Belle asked, "Kessho Kessho no…Punt!" She shouted as she kicked Ackmor hard in the abdomen and sent him flying straight through the building and across the forest.

The sight left the marines and Yoshino completely at a loss for words, but Kaisetsu and Sakuya were only slightly shocked.

"Did she just…send that boy flying out of the mansion?" Yoshino asked, stunned at what he just witnessed.

"Wow…Belle's done a lot since we last saw her," Sakuya said.

Belle turned to the others and gestured them to come over to where she was, "Come on, we can't keep Ackmor waiting."

"Goes to show how seriously she takes this," Kaisetsu said walking towards the hole in the wall she made.

"D-did we take in a freak show or something?" A marine asked.

"Sorry about that, Kota, everyone," Belle said turning to the marines, "I hope this mansion owner has insurance. I'll take care of Ackmor, cio~!" She shouted throwing a peace sign with a smile before jumping through the hole to head outside the mansion, "Kessho Kessho no…Slide!" Once she landed on the ground, she formed a crystal-made slide, "Come on! Hurry, Kaisetsu!"

"A slide?" Kaisetsu said, "Belle sure picked a weird devil fruit to eat."

"If that really is a devil fruit?" Sakuya said.

"After what we've seen, that girl couldn't have eaten anything else," Yoshino said, "Well…anything to get me out of this stuffed place."

The three of them jumped onto the crystal slide and slid down to where Belle was. Once all three of them were on the ground, Belle recalled the crystal slide.

"Heh, pretty neat, huh?" Belle asked, smirking as if she accomplished something.

"'Pretty weird' would better describe what we just watched," Yoshino said.

"Anyways, where did I send Ackmor flying…?" Belle asked herself looking around until she saw a path of broken trees, "That way!"

As the group went through the forest following the path before them, Sakuya decided to bring up Belle's questionable actions.

"Are you sure kicking him this far was a good idea, Belle?" Sakuya asked.

"It was either that or let Ackmor kill those marines," Belle said, "Besides, I don't like that Ackmor. He's too—" Belle was trying to find the right words to describe the current Ackmor, "Heartless."

"Given how he crushed someone with a steel door without remorse, I can see why you wouldn't like Ackmor like this," Kaisetsu said, "But what could have caused him to change? It couldn't be just the memories."

"He said something about orders and all that crap," Yoshino said, feeling slightly sympathetic of Ackmor, "He's…following orders despite how gruesome they are. What kind of person would force others to carry out inhuman orders like that?"

"Aw, Yoshi," Belle chimed with a smirk, "Am I detecting a sense of care for Acky from you?"

"Shut up!" Yoshino shouted, "I'm just…curious, that's all."

"Pft, sure you are," Belle muttered sarcastically.

"I heard that!" Yoshino shouted angrily.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Chikai Mansion~~_

Meanwhile, Kota was furious at what Ackmor and Belle had done to the Chikai Mansion.

"Damnit!" Kota shouted, "I let them into my house, treat Ackmor's wounds, but this is what I get?!" He angrily screamed before looking over at the blood that belonged to the marine Ackmor killed, "Was all of this my fault?"

"Don't blame yourself, Kota," Kaiju said, he took another breath from his cigarette, "You were simply doing your job."

"…Yeah, but I probably could have resolved this without violence," Kota said, "But when I saw that Ackmor had killed one of our comrades, I—"

"Seeing dead bodies are an everyday job of a marine," Kaiju said, "Don't let it get you down for too long or you'll regret it," He took Kota's silence and a sign of understanding and continued, "Anyways, we should report this to the mayor."

"Wait, shouldn't we go after Ackmor?" Kota asked.

"After what he and Belle did?" Kaiju asked, "I highly advise against that. We'd lose more men then we would gain from capturing Ackmor. Besides, I'm more concerned about this Black Thorn Assassin business he was talking about."

"So…the rumors were true?" Kota asked.

"They might have been this whole time," Kaiju said as he began walking to the mayor's office, "Let's hurry up and talk with the mayor and the higher-ups about this."

"Sure," Kota said, following behind Kaiju.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Senu Forest~~_

"Maaaan..." Belle said, surprised herself at her sheer power, "I really sent him packing this far. I think I might have overdone it."

"You think?!" Sakuya asked, angrily grabbing Belle's her color and shaking her, "You kicked my precious prince Ackmor halfway across the island!"

"Ha, sorry about that, Saki-chan," Belle said, sticking a tongue out, "My dad and Lindow always commented on how I need to watch my strength."

"You're that strong?" Yoshino asked.

"Oh yes," Kaisetsu said, "I had a feeling Belle would get this strong since that time she knocked down a boar at age six."

"Wow, I remember that too," Belle said, rubbing her head embarrassingly "I almost died that day."

"At age six?!" Yoshino asked, before thinking about how weird the girls he was with are, " _What kind of girl group did I drag myself into?"_

"Still," Belle said, looking around the forest when the group had reached the end of the trail of broken trees, "Where in the world is Acky?"

That was when Ackmor jumped out of the pile of trees that were resting on top of him. He landed on the ground, sparkles of fire flying around his body but disappearing before they made contact with the surrounding trees.

"You hurt, Acky~?" Belle asked.

"Did you just kick me out of a building and a good distance into a forest?" Ackmor asked, wiping the dust of his shoulder.

"Yeah, even to this day I'm struggling with my strength," Belle said, "Sorry about that, Acky."

"Do not touch me again, Belle," Ackmor warned Belle, with his axe drawn.

"Okay, he is definitely pissed off," Yoshino said walking as far away from the soon-to-be battlefield, "Please don't burn the forest down a second time."

"Don't blame me," Belle said, "You're the one who was going on and on about that 'eliminating those who stood in your way' nonsense."

"I don't think you fully understand what you're dealing with here," Ackmor said.

"You're right," Belle said, nodding, "I don't understand because I've only known you for a day. Hell, I didn't know you once wielded a sword-axe hybrid that has fire condensers built in it. Not going to lie, it looks pretty badass."

"This is beyond you," Ackmor said, "I must seek out the criminal behind the Black Thorn Assassinations and bring them to justice."

"Yeah, about that," Belle said, "You just killed a marine who was simply doing his job. I gotta make sure you don't kill anyone else first, since you're a member of my crew and all."

"Wait, what?" Kaisetsu asked.

"If you want to get in the way of my mission, Belle, then I don't mind knocking you across the ground," Ackmor said, "Now step aside without uttering another word or I will do just that."

"Come on, Acky~," Belle whined, "I'm trying to throw you the biggest bone I can possibly—"

Ackmor wasted no time hitting Belle square in the abdomen with the swing of his axe, sending her flying into dozens of trees.

"Whoa…so he can send people flying too?" Yoshino asked, admittedly, he was starting to become curious of how powerful these people were.

"Ouch," Sakuya said, wincing at what Belle went through, "Took an axe strike to the abdomen…"

"Yeah, but something tells me that an attack like that won't bring Belle down," Kaisetsu said.

No sooner than when Kaisetsu said that, Belle casually walked out of the tree branch piled she was buried under with an annoyed glare, "…Okay then, Ackmor," Belle said, her hands beginning to form crystals, "Guess I need to teach you some manners."

Yoshino was shocked at the fact that Belle was able to take that attack head on and walk back up as if it never happened, "… _What_ ** _is_** _she?"_

"I'm surprised you're still conscious after that," Ackmor said, "At the very least you should be out for a few days."

"Aw, you care about me, Ackmor," Belle said, smiling before immediately frowning seconds later, "Not gonna save you from my anger towards you."

"Anger towards me?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes, I don't like this version of you," Belle said, "As your captain, I order you to change back to the fun Ackmor."

"…I was…fun to you?" Ackmor asked, getting annoyed by this conversation, "First off: That's your fault for liking the amnesiac version of me. Second: I—"

Belle cut Ackmor off by suddenly creating a human-sized, crystal hand from her right arm and slammed it into Ackmor before pinning him against a tree.

"I don't think you're understanding me, Ackmor," Belle said, "I made an oath to that you you're calling 'amnesiac'."

"And I don't remember you being the one I take orders from!" Ackmor shouted as Ignitus' started to glow read, "Burst!" He shouted as his Ignitus released a small explosion that was enough to completely shatter Belle's crystal arm.

Belle winced in pain before she retracted the remaining crystals back into her arm. Her real, right hand, however, has burn marks on them as if Ackmor's attack connected with it.

Ackmor landed on the ground, but was more confused than relieved, " _My Burst attack has gotten weaker! How?! Is it because I didn't absorb enough energy from those marine bullets, or are my memories having an effect on me?"_ He then noticed that Belle's real, right arm had burn marks on it, " _Wait…are those crystals connected to her real body? If so, then I know just what to do."_ He transformed his axe back to its sword and shield form, adopting a defensive stance.

" _Ow…"_ Belle thought to herself, soothing her slightly burnt hand, " _Should have expected Ackmor to do something like that,"_ She took a good look at Ackmor, thinking back to what he has done ever since he got that weapon back, " _So he blocks with his shield and somehow absorbs the impact of attacks, and then he combines his sword and shield to form that axe to release a powerful attack with the energy he absorbs. I know just what I need to do to counter that."_

"I never took Belle as the analytical type," Kaisetsu said, noticing that both Belle and Ackmor had intense looks in their eyes as if one was waiting for the other to move first.

"Yeah, I guess things really did change since we last saw her," Sakuya said.

"Kessho Kessho no: Gauntlets," Belle said, forming crystal made gauntlets on both her arms, "Greaves," Then she formed crystal greaves on her legs.

Ackmor prepared to block any attack Belle sent his way, " _Why the arms and legs?"_ He thought to himself.

Belle looked at Ackmor's shield, which he held in his left hand, " _His right side,"_ She thought before she suddenly ran faster than Ackmor could react and planted a swift punch to his gut.

It only took a second for Ackmor to realize what just hit him before he was knocked up against a tree. Before he could recover, Belle then lunged at him and landed a strong kick to his face, sending Ackmor plowing through the tree and onto the ground.

"Ngh…" Ackmor felt his face bleed a bit from his forehead, " _She's not letting me use my shield. Where did she get this speed from?"_

"Learned your lesson yet, Ackmor?" Belle asked, "The sooner you give up, the sooner I can call you by your nickname again, because I hate being serious like this."

Ackmor placed Ignitus behind his back and adopted a fighting pose.

"Well I'll take that as a 'no' then," Belle said before she then rushed towards Ackmor for another attack.

" _You may have surprised me before, but now that I expected you to run towards me—"_ Ackmor caught Belle's crystallized right arm that she was using in an attempt to punch him, _"_ _Got you!"_

"Or did you?" Belle asked before sending another crystallized punch with her left fist at Ackmor.

But in the nick of time, Ackmor managed to at least catch Belle's other fist with his open palm.

With both of their arms in a struggle for dominance, both Belle and Ackmor glared at each other. The air around both fighters was starting to grow more intense.

Ackmor then suddenly smirked.

"What's so funny, Ackmor?" Belle asked, "Enjoying this?"

"I don't comprehend emotions that stem from entertainment, Belle," Ackmor said, "I'm simply realizing that I can do this!" He shouted before he started crushing Belle's crystallized right arm, cracks starting to form on it due to the pressure.

"Ah—" The pain on Belle's right arm felt as if her bones were about to break, " _He's a lot stronger than I thought he would be!"_ She thought, " _And smarter if he figured out my weakness this fast!"_

Ackmor increased the pressure on Belle's right arm until he felt her strength on her left fist fade, "Weakness found," He said before letting go of Belle's fist, which no longer had momentum to it, and landed a punch on Belle's face, sending her flying.

Even though it looked as if Belle was going to plow against the ground, the girl managed to find her rhythm again and placed her left hand on a ground to regain balance again and landed on the ground on her feet.

"Belle!" Sakuya shouted, seeing blood drip from Belle's nose.

"Ah…" Belle groaned, feeling immense pain from her nose, "Broke my nose…"

"Did that hurt?" Ackmor asked.

"Like a bitch," Belle said, placing a hand on her broken nose. She took a deep before she forcefully pushed the bone in her nose back in place, "AH—" She tried to hold in her scream, but couldn't, "Fuck!"

"Wow," Kaisetsu said, amazed that Belle was willing to force her broken nose back into its position.

"That's what happens when you get in my way, Belle," Ackmor warned, "But I am impressed by your devil fruit power. The power of the Kessho Kessho no Mi."

"So you've heard of it?" Belle asked.

"I was wondering what you were doing this whole time with those crystals and all," Ackmor said, "It was only until I got my memory that I put two and two together. Not only do you possess a Paramecium Devil Fruit, Belle, but you must have been born under a lucky star to get the Kessho Kessho no Mi of all others."

"What does he mean by that?" Yoshino asked.

"The Kessho Kessho no Mi is one of the three recently discovered Devil Fruits lost to time itself," Ackmor explained, "With this fruit, users are able to create crystals on their bodies to act as extensions of themselves in whatever way they see fit. Although crystals are usually weak in terms of durability, your crystals seem different, seeing as how it took a lot of force to destroy your crystals in the last two instances. It's a powerful and dangerous Devil Fruit if given to the properly trained person. However, as I have proven, the Kessho Fruit has a drawback. Due to the crystals being an extension of the user's body, any damage done to the crystals, causes damage to the user's real body. Am I right, Belle?"

"Spot on, Ackmor," Belle said, "You managed to figure that all out from just two exchanges with my Devil Fruit."

"You picked quite a double-edged power," Ackmor said, "If you're smart as you were in battle, you would walk away right now. You'll only bring more pain to your body."

"See the thing is that I'm such a relentless completionist," Belle said, "I'm not going anywhere until I fix this attitude of yours."

"You're still going on about that?" Ackmor asked, shaking his head almost feeling sorry for the girl's ability to understand the situation, "I have nothing against you, Belle, but you're beginning to cross the line with this nonsense," He then took out Ignitus again and charged at Belle, "I'll be sure to end this quick for your sake."

Belle smiled, "Same, Acky~," Her sudden change in tone caught Ackmor off guard, "Kessho Kessho no: Crystal Tree."

Suddenly, a crystal tree sprung up from the ground below Ackmor hitting him upon impact and sending him flying in the air.

Belle let out a smirk, remembering when she planted a crystal seed into the ground in the instance when she was recovering from Ackmor's counter attack.

Ackmor landed flat on the ground with a huge thud. His body ended up severely damaged due to the impact from the crystal tree—blood dripping from his mouth. Ackmor was reaching the limit of his weakened state, " _How…careless of me. I'm not as strong as I used to…"_ He thought to himself, frustrated, but he slowly got back up to his feet. He saw Belle rushing towards him again for another attack, so he put up his shield defensively.

Suddenly, Belle stopped right in front of Ackmor. Something that left Ackmor confused.

"You think we should go eat somewhere, Acky~?" Belle asked, smiling obliviously.

Ackmor was taken aback by the out-of-nowhere question, but felt offended that Belle would ask such a thing, "Mocking me now? Big mistake, Belle!" He shouted as he swung his sword at her from his right side.

However, in a flash, Belle managed to parry Ackmor's swing attack with her right arm, despite the pain Ackmor inflicted upon it, circled around to position herself behind Ackmor, "Kessho Kessho no: Twin Crystal Snake Bind," She said as her fingers created ten crystal snakes that all wrapped around Ackmor's legs and body. One of the snakes made sure to wrap itself around Ackmor's neck to restrict his mobility.

"Who made the big mistake, Ackmor?" Belle asked, making sure her snakes were wrapped firmly around Ackmor's limbs.

Ackmor tried to struggle against his binds, but Belle had such a tight hold on his neck that any resistance would result in a lack of air for him. The snakes on his arms were strengthening their hold on him to the point where he had no choice but to drop his weapon.

"Will one of you guys get that axe-sword thingy?" Belle asked, turning to Kaisetsu, Sakuya, and Yoshino.

"I'll do it," Kaisetsu said, walking up to Ackmor, almost feeling pity for him before picking up his weapon. But not before noticing how hot it felt, "Ow! This thing is hot! How do you hold onto this for so long?!"

"Well, what would you expect from something that caused a forest fire?" Belle asked rhetorically, "Ackmor, do you want to surrender?"

"…Yes…" Ackmor hesitantly replied, having no other option but to surrender.

Once Kaisetsu placed Ackmor's weapon far away, Belle released her crystal snakes and moved to check Ackmor's wounds with Sakuya.

Yoshino watched the three look over the boy and understood one thing: All four of them were strong. He was never the kind of person to ask others for help, but maybe they could help him out, "That was quite a fight you two had."

"Yeah, I learned a lot about fighting from my dad and strategy from a friend," Belle said looking over Ackmor's bleeding forehead, "This is what happens when I take something seriously."

"No kidding," Kaisetsu said, "You really have changed, Belle."

"In a good way, I hope," Belle said, slightly worried that her change might be a bad thing, "How are you feeling, Ackmor?"

"Why…do you care?" Ackmor asked, finding Belle's sudden concern to be misplaced, "Shouldn't you kill me…already?"

"Kill you?" Belle asked, "I said I was teach you a lesson, Ackmor. I never said I would kill you."

"Yet you…injured me to this extent," Ackmor pointed out.

"Well…I will admit that I kind of overdid it," Belle said, crossing her arms, "Sorry for that, but I want you to understand that from now on, you take orders from me, your captain."

"I don't recall ever—"

"I can help you get the rest of your memories back, Ackmor," Belle said, "That's an oath I swore to you, and I'll be damned before I break it."

"Belle…"

"Now, are you going to tone this attitude of yours down at least?" Belle asked, "I know that this is your real personality, but you don't need to be killing people just because they get in your way."

"You don't understand," Ackmor said, "I—"

"Do you understand what I am saying?" Belle asked, looking directly into his eyes with a piercing, firm glare.

"…Yes," Ackmor said, "I will avoid killing needlessly."

Belle smiled, "That's good to hear, Acky~!" She cheered happily before standing up and turning around, "Now our next order of business is to get something—"

"Hold on," Sakuya said, "I think there's something wrong with Ackmor-kun."

"Huh?" Belle asked, turning back to see that Ackmor had fallen unconscious, "Ackmor!" She shouted, getting serious again.

"Don't worry," Kaisetsu said, "He's just exhausted from the fight. Still, he did well for someone who just regained a portion of his memory."

"Alright, if we're done here, we should probably leave before any marines come after us," Yoshino advised, "Our stunt in that mansion is sure to have them royally pissed."

"I'm surprised that you're still here, Yoshi," Belle said, letting out a chuckle.

"I-I'm here because…" Yoshino tried to come up with a convenient excuse, "…I was…curious about Ackmor."

"What?" Belle asked, "Are you gay for Acky or something?"

"Call me that again and I'll kill you!" Yoshino shouted angrily, offended that Belle would call him that; yet, he regretted ever wording his excuse like that.

"Alright, enough," Kaisetsu said.

"We should hurry and get Ackmor-kun somewhere safe," Sakuya said, worried for Ackmor's safety.

"Yoshino, help me out," Kaisetsu said.

"Who went and made you my boss…?" Yoshino muttered.

"What was that?" Kaisetsu asked as a chilling atmosphere started floating around her whole body.

"Sure, I'll help," Yoshino quickly said, grabbing a hold of Ackmor's right arm while Kaisetsu held his left.

The group then ventured further into the forest hoping to reach the shore line to find a boat of some kind.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Interrogation Room~~_

Belle stared at Jurabi with her beaten eyes in her cell after explaining her side of the story of what occurred on Chika Island.

"Chikai Island," Jurabi said, "That's where you met this 'Ackmor' person?" He asked, Belle silently nodded in response, "But still, if what you told me was true, then your crew never had anything against Mayor Sadow…but then why…"

"Do you suspect that I'm lying to you?" Belle asked.

"I admit, I have some merit of doubts about your story," Jurabi said, "However…it does correlate to the evidence of the Black Thorn Assassinations case so far. Certainly you and your crew have heard of them beforehand. The mysterious serial killings—bodies of victims with black thorns stabbed through them. All of which started 15 years ago."

"I can't speak for my crew, but I knew of the assassinations long before I left home," Belle said.

"You do?" Jurabi asked before he realized why she would know, "That's right. One of the victims was…" He said, knowing that this is the perfect time to bring something else up, "Let's talk about the first four victims of this serial murder real quick."

Jurabi took out a clipboard that had 5 pictures: one of a young, male marine, an middle-aged man with brown hair, the third a little, black haired girl, the forth was a green haired woman with a red haired man, both being around their 20s and the fifth a little, blue haired girl.

Belle felt her vision blur for a bit, but she could easily identify the black haired girl in the third photo.

"The first victim of the Black Thorn Assassination is the Marine Prodigy: Ryas Udina," Jurabi said, listing the names of the victims, "The second is a former marine Vice Admiral: Dojima Varan. The third…" Jurabi looked at Belle with a sorrowful expression as if he was afraid to name the third victim, "I'm sorry to do this to you. The third victim is Monkey D. Merry, your twin sister."

"…" Belle held a grimace expression after hearing her twin sister's name mentioned.

Wanting to take away Belle's pain, Jurabi forcefully continued, "The fourth and fifth victims were Jacob Wright and his fiancé, Roronoa Morgana. And the sixth victim was Luka Hoshida."

Silence fell in the room. Belle didn't want to talk about the deaths of those victims since hearing about them from her friends' torn voices was torture enough.

"Six victims with the first dating back to 15 years ago," Jurabi said, "At first, we all thought it was going to be an unsolvable case given how the killer did a good job covering his tracks and remaining in hiding. But then…your crew came along.

"We did?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Jurabi said while nodding, "You said that you knew of the murders before you left your island. After the death of your sister, we weren't able to properly question you or your parents giving the bad blood. I'm asking because I want to hear your side of the story—like what happened leading up to those people deaths."

"I…I don't want to talk about it…" Belle weakly muttered.

Jurabi angrily slammed his fists on the table, "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" He screamed before lowering his voice, "Try to remember! This is important because we need a new clue that might help us catch this bastard!"

"…Okay…" Belle said before she reached as far back as she could in her memories despite the drugs messing her up.

Belle's memories flashed back to her as fast as possible.

 **Chikai Arc: Finished**

 **Next Arc: Gecko Arc**

* * *

 **Jurabi: Alright, that's quite an odd note to end off on but I think it fits perfectly to set up the next arc.**

 **So I would like to thank ShinigamiMaster for pointing out an issue I did not notice for a long time.** **Apparently I have been writing out character questions in the wrong way. I always put a comma at the end of someone asking a question instead of a question mark. I always thought this was the right way to do it, but after research I found that the question mark at the end was the right way to end the dialogue.**

 **Before:**

 **"Do you suspect that I'm lying to you," Belle asked.**

 **After:**

 **"Do you suspect that I'm lying to you?" Belle asked.**

 **Another thing that I picked up during research is finally typing out the long hyphen. I was never able to put that on there until now because I have the old version of Microsoft Word and the minus mark just isn't big enough to be useful in certain dialogue.**

 **And that's all the important stuff. Again, thank you, ShinigamiMaster, for pointing out this issue. You really helped me improve my writing.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow. Final character introduction and the story will get started! Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	9. Gecko Arc Chp 1: Android

**Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada Jurabi Therion here bring you another chapter of One Piece: The Oatkeeper Pirates. Yeah, it's been two months since I last updated—college as usual and all. Plus there is the K/DA song that was recently released that I could never stop watching to. I'm starting to get ideas of pop stars in a future, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**

 _ **"I'm surprised that you're still here, Yoshi," Belle said, letting out a chuckle.**_

 _ **"I-I'm here because…" Yoshino tried to come up with a convenient excuse, "…I was…curious about Ackmor."**_

 _ **"What?" Belle asked, "Are you gay for Acky or something?"**_

 **And now...back to making oaths...**

* * *

 **Gecko Arc Chp 1: Android**

 _~~Unknown Location~~_

"Acky~!" A familiar voice called out to the unconscious Ackmor. Ackmor tried to ignore it and continue with his rest, but the voice only grew louder, "Acky~! Wake up!"

"AH!" Ackmor screamed as he forced his body up to a sitting position, despite the pain he felt on his body. He then looked around and saw that he was out at sea on a two-man boat with Belle looking over him. Kaisetsu and Sakuya watched the two on another boat on the left side while Yoshino sat on another on the right side.

"Finally," Belle said, breathing a sigh of relief, "I thought you'd never wake up."

"Wake up?" Ackmor asked before he felt the pain from Belle's attack towards his abdomen, "Agh!"

"You're better off not moving at all," Kaisetsu said to him, "Belle did a poor job at holding back."

"Yeah," Belle said, rubbing her head with a guilty face, "Again, I'm sorry for hurting you to this extent."

"You should be," Ackmor said, holding his abdomen, "Feels like you could have killed a normal person with your strength."

"Well I did learn to fight when I was eight, so it's not a surprise to hear you say that," Belle said.

"If you're that strong then you should have carried this weirdo, not me," Yoshino said.

"Acky is not a weirdo, Yoshi!" Belle shouted, "You take that back!"

"Wait," Ackmor said, noticing that Yoshino said that he was carried, "I was carried? What happened after I passed out?"

"If you must know, Yours Truly had to carry your unconscious butt out of the forest where you black out," Yoshino said.

"And we managed to get these boats together so we could sail away from Chikai Island," Sakuya explained.

"All of that was a full day ago," Kaisetsu said.

"A full day?!" Ackmor asked in shock, "What about the marines?"

"We don't know," Belle said, "For some reason they didn't chase after us."

"But I doubt that will last for long," Yoshino pointed out, "After all, a certain someone made a huge hole out of a mansion."

"Cut me some slack, Yoshi," Belle said, "I had to get Ackmor away from those marines somehow."

"By kicking him across the island?" Yoshino asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I still haven't forgotten that, by the way, Belle!" Sakuya shouted, glaring at Belle.

"Okay, maybe I could have done a better job than that," Belle said, "But it worked!"

"Yeah, barely," Yoshino said.

"You must be fun at parties, Yoshi," Belle said.

"I'm okay, guys," Ackmor said, reassuring the group but is still feeling the pain, "Surprisingly, Belle's attack didn't do too much."

"I'll say," Kaisetsu said, "I wasn't expecting you to get back up for another three days."

"Can you talk?" Yoshino asked, "Because we have to address the loud elephant in the room."

"…But we're not in a room," Belle pointed out.

"It's a figure of speech, Belle," Yoshino said, shaking his head, "Anyways, what was all of that you were doing back on Chikai Island?"

"I was going to ask the same thing," Kaisetsu said, "First you killed a marine, and then you went on about some mission—something about the Black Thorn Assassinations?"

"I don't remember much, I'm afraid," Ackmor said, "All that I have are the memories I managed to regain after I got Ignitus back."

"Ignitus?" Sakuya asked before she looked at the weapon Ackmor was wielding that rested on her ship, "This weapon you've been carrying?"

"Yes," Ackmor replied, "Ignitus is its name. I don't know how long I've had it, but for me to recover parts of my memory simply by touching it, that would mean I've had it for an extended amount of time."

"Ignitus…" Belle muttered, staring at the weapon before letting out an amazed smile, "That's a pretty neat name for a weapon."

"I wouldn't compliment a weapon that was used to try and kill you, Belle," Sakuya said, sweat-dropping.

"Regardless, it also must have been a powerful weapon if it could cause a forest fire," Kaisetsu pointed out, "Speaking of which, you mentioned before that you were fighting someone before the fire started, correct?"

Ackmor responded with a nod before saying, "I was looking for the culprit behind the Black Thorn Assassinations. During the night of the fire, I managed to find a potential suspect: a black haired woman with yellow eyes."

"A black haired woman?" Belle asked.

"There's a human being with yellow eyes?" Sakuya asked.

"What did this woman do to warrant her to be on your suspect list?" Yoshino asked.

"That part I don't know," Ackmor answered, "I just know that woman has something to do with the Black Thorn Assassinations."

"Okay, you've been saying "Black Thorn" all this time," Sakuya said, "I'm not the only one who's confused as to what that is, am I?"

"No, you're not," Yoshino replied.

"Ah, my prince!" Sakuya squealed while blushing, "We're both confused together! We finally have something in common like a married couple~!"

"We do not have anything in common, and we are not a married couple!" Yoshino shouted, annoyed at the girl going on her infatuation spree as usual.

"The Black Thorn Assassinations…" Ackmor began as if he was about to explain what they were, but the pain he felt on his abdomen prevented him from speaking further, "Ngh…" He winced.

"Take it easy, Acky," Belle said carefully stopping Ackmor from moving any further.

"I'm sorry," Ackmor said, "Talking kind of hurts right now."

"Why don't you get some rest, then?" Belle suggested, "We can talk more when we get to the next island."

"Okay," Ackmor said before he lied down and closed his eyes to quickly fall asleep.

Once Ackmor had fallen asleep, Kaisetsu rubbed the temples on her head, "Man…a boy who can wield an extremely hot weapon, a mysterious, black-haired girl, and this "Black Thorn" talk. Is it just me or are things getting weird way too fast?"

"But aren't you used to that kind of stuff, Kaisetsu?" Sakuya asked.

"Yes, but I didn't expect my journey to get so bizarre right off the bat," Kaisetsu said.

"Well you know what they say: _'It can't be fun unless it freaks you out'_ ," Belle said.

"That quote could be taken the wrong way, you know," Kaisetsu said, sweat-dropping.

"You three are the weirdest girls I have ever met," Yoshino said.

"Yoshino-kun complimented me at last~!" Sakuya shouted, blushing a beet red.

"…Shoot me now…" Yoshino silently muttered, knowing that his time with this girl isn't going to be pleasant.

"By the way, Saki," Belle said to Sakuya pointing at her ear muffs, "Are you gonna take those ear muffs off?"

"Hm?" Sakuya then suddenly realized that her ear muffs were still on, "Oh yeah! I put these on to conceal my identity, but there's no need for these for a while."

"Conceal your identity?" Yoshino asked, confused by that statement, "How?"

"Well, this may come as a big surprise, my dear Yoshino-kun, but I am not a human," Sakuya said, placing her hands on her earmuffs before taking them off to show her pointy, siren ears, "Tah dah~! I am actually a siren!"

"Oh wow, Sakuya!" Belle shouted in awe while staring at Sakuya's ears, "Have your ears grown pointier since we last met?!"

"Seems like it," Sakuya said, "I also made new songs to sing. Maybe if we get a good musician, I can sing a beautiful song for you."

"Heh, that seems possible," Kaisetsu said, "Your singing was always the best aspect about you, Sakuya…"

"Aw, thank you Kai—"

"…until this new personality of yours reached the surface," Kaisetsu finished with a smug grin.

"Sh-shut up, Kaisetsu!" Sakuya shouted angrily, but embarrassed all the same.

"…You're…a siren…?" Yoshino asked, his voice sounding both fearful and disgusted.

"Yes I am, Yoshino-kun," Sakuya replied with a smile, unaware of the cold glare Yoshino was giving her, "Have you now fallen in deep love with me, my prince?"

"Uh…Sakuya?" Belle said, getting Sakuya's attention, "Yoshi doesn't seem like he's in love."

"Why do you say th—" Sakuya stopped her question mid-sentence when she saw Yoshino sweating and breathing heavily while holding onto the back of his left shoulder.

"Eight days…left…" Yoshino growled to himself.

"Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked, worried for Yoshino's well-being, but also a big frightened by his sudden change in behavior.

"What's gotten into him all of a sudden?" Kaisetsu asked.

"K-Kaito…" Yoshino groaned out, "I'll do…whatever you ask…just don't…!" Suddenly, Yoshino slapped himself and snapped out of his weird trance.

The three girls stared at the sweating boy silently until Belle, concerned for Yoshino, asked, "Hey, are you feeling well, Yoshino?"

"…You all didn't see that," Yoshino said before turning away from them.

"We're willing to help you if there are any issues," Kaisetsu offered.

"Forget it!" Yoshino shouted, "I'm fine!" He paused before he repeated in a more depressing tone, "…I'm fine…"

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya whispered. She could tell that her revealing herself to be a siren somehow bothered Yoshino to his extent.

" _Damnit…"_ Yoshino thought, _"Why is there a siren here of all places?! Did she send one of her lackeys to keep tabs on me? If so, then I might not have as much time as she initially gave me. I have to find the Mizu Blade. No matter what it takes!"_

"So Belle," Kaisetsu said, getting Belle's attention, "Where exactly are we going?"

"Ah, yes," Belle said before she took out a compass, "We're going to see Auntie Kaya on the Gecko Islands~!"

"Auntie Kaya?" Sakuya asked, "Whatever for?"

"You see, before I left home, my dad left me a list of instructions," Belle said, taking out a small paper, "It lists all the things I need to do to start off."

But when Kaisetsu and Sakuya took a look at what was written on the paper, they cringed at the awful handwriting.

"The fuck is this?" Kaisetsu asked, "What horrible handwriting."

"How do you even understand what's one here, Belle?" Sakuya asked, "Is that suppose to be a 'u' or a 'v'?"

"You guys can't read this?" Belle asked, a bit shocked, "I can understand it perfectly."

"That's kind of concerning," Yoshino said, recovering from his breakdown.

"Okay, so as you all may know, the reason I came to Chikai Island was to begin searching for potential crew members," Belle explained.

"Crew members?" Sakuya asked before realizing, "Wait, you plan on being a pirate?"

"A pirate?" Yoshino asked.

"Yep," Belle replied, "Right now I already got Ackmor in…maybe."

"Maybe?" Kaisetsu asked, "You make it sound like you're forcing him."

"I mean he did agree to join me," Belle said, "But that was before this new Ackmor came around, so I'll need to ask him again. Anywho, my dad said that I first need to find four more people and then go visit Auntie Kaya for a surprise. I'm not sure what that surprise is though."

"Are you referring to us when you say 'four people'?" Yoshino asked, "Because I don't remember ever agreeing to join in on your stupid, pirate crusade."

"But then why are you still with us, Yoshi?" Belle asked, finding it bizarre that Yoshino is still around despite having no reason to stay with them.

"…That's…" Yoshino stopped himself to think about what he should say next, _"I could ask them for help in finding the Mizu Blade, but if they find out my intentions with it…"_

"Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked, snapping Yoshino out of his line of thought.

"I need help finding the Mizu Blade," Yoshino quickly said.

"Oh right," Belle said, nodding, "You did talk about that on Chikai Island. What do you need an old sword for?"

"You see…" Yoshino paused when he came up with a good lie, "My family has treasured that sword for many generations until it was stolen long ago. When I heard that the Mizu Blade was held on exhibit at Chikai Island, I was determined to return it for the sake of my ancestors, but now that the sword was stolen again, I need to track down the thief before eight days pass."

"What happens when eight days pass?" Kaisetsu asked.

"What happens is….well nothing actually happens," Yoshino said, "Just that my…friends might begin to worry for my safety, and my friends can be…extremely prying when they want to be."

"Wow, you have other friends, Yoshi?" Belle asked excitedly, "Can I meet them?!"

"U-uh…" Yoshino was caught off guard by Belle's request and got so caught up in the moment he then said, "Well that depends on whether or not I find the Mizu Blade, which I can do quickly the more help I get."

"Then it's settled," Belle said, "We'll help you out, Yoshi. Then we'll get to meet these wonderful friends of yours!"

"Of course," Yoshino said, but then he realized that he severely messed up, _"Fuck! Did I just lie myself into an even worse situation?! I wanted them to just accept my lie!"_

Kaisetsu, however, had a skeptical look on her face, _"He's lying. It's almost as if he's afraid of something."_

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

~~Chikai Mansion~~

Kota and Kaiju explain what had occurred to Mayor Sadow.

"So this 'Ackmor' is the one responsible for the fire?" Sadow asked.

"That is what our investigation has led us to believe, yes," Kota replied, "But unfortunately, he and the four other people who visited refused to cooperate with us."

"And what of the Mizu Blade?" Mayor Sadow asked, "That relic isn't something you can simply replace, you know."

"Ackmor denied having anything to do with the Mizu Blade's disappearance," Kaiju explained, "Which leads me to believe that there may have been a separate party after all."

"Whatever the case may be, I am now in a bind with the higher ups regarding this issue," Sadow said, "You two are dismissed."

"Sir, what should we do about Ackmor and his accomplishes," Kota asked.

"I have my men out at sea scouring the surrounding islands," Sadow said, "They shouldn't have gotten far. Now will you please leave? I have an important call to make."

"Of course," Kaiju said before he and Kota left the office.

Kota rubbed his face in exhaustion, "Ugh…I can't believe this…"

"I know," Kaiju said, "It ain't even lunch time yet."

"This is serious, Kaiju," Kota said, glaring at Kaiju.

"Yes, it is," Kaiju said, "We can't even do anything about those kids. Plus they screwed up the mansion and a good man is dead."

"I find it odd that Mayor Sadow wouldn't allow us to go after them," Kota said, "They're obviously suspects in this whole thing."

"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves," Kaiju said, "I myself still have doubts about those kids being suspects. I mean, them being here together at all more than raises alarms for me."

"What are you getting at?" Kota asked, turning to Kaiju.

"Hard to say, but I have a feeling that I can't pass off these recent events as pure coincidence," Kaiju explained, "Plus there's the rumor of this "Black Thorn Assassination" business."

"Whatever the case, we can't do anything about it now," Kota said, frustrated at that fact he stated, "I just can't let this sit under the rug. I know something is up."

"Well how about I call a friend of mine to look into this then?" Kaiju said, placing a hand on Kota's shoulder.

"Friend?" Kota asked.

"Don't worry, I know a guy who's good at this kind of stuff," Kaiju said with a wink before walking off.

"Oh boy," Kota said, knowing what is going to happen, "It's never good when he winks."

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Gecko Island Shore~~_

"Finally!" Belle shouted, the group arriving at the Gecko Islands on the western shore, "We made it!"

"So this is the Gecko Islands?" Yoshino asked, "Looks deserted if you ask me."

"That's going to change real soon once we get to Syrup Village," Belle said.

"Syrup Village?" Ackmor asked, raising an eyebrow, "What kind of name is that?"

"Don't ask me," Belle said with a shrug, "It was named that long before I was even born."

"It's best for your precious heads to not get too wrapped up in understanding why certain things are named the way they are, my princes~," Sakuya said.

"You do realize that I'm actually not a prince, right?" Ackmor asked, sweat-dropping.

"In any case, we should head over to Syrup Village right now," Belle said, "I'm starving."

"You know a restaurant we can go to?" Kaisetsu asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Belle said, pointing at the large pathway before them, "We should be able to get there if we follow this path."

"This island doesn't have a dock or something?" Yoshino asked before pointing at the three boats they left on the edge of the shore, "It'd be pretty suspicious if we left our boats floating around like this."

"It's fine," Belle said, "The people who live here rarely leave the island. I can tell Auntie Kaya that those belong to us. Now let's hurry up to the bar already."

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~On the Opposite Shores~~_

Meanwhile on the other side of the Gecko Islands' eastern shore, countless beaten, unconscious pirates lied on the ground.

"S-so strong…" A barely conscious pirate whimpered as he tried to crawl away from three males towering over him.

"It seems like we over did it again," One of the males said, his voice sounding like he had a lot of fun, "And I was just getting warmed up."

"Piiman, would you please take this more seriously," Another male said, his voice sounding more calculating and precise. He had called his green haired friend by his name with utter annoyance at his carefree attitude, "The three of us were entrusted this job by Mrs. Kaya."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Four Eyes," Piiman said to the brown haired man who had glasses, "But would it kill you to switch off your nerd brain cells and have some fun?"

 _Piiman: Former member of the Ussop Pirates that later became the Disciples of God Ussop. Despite being a carpenter and construction worker, this 21-year-old man has developed a passion for fighting with his signature metal bat._

"How many times must I tell you to refer to me by my actual name: Tamanegi?" The calculated man asked.

 _Tamanegi: Former member of the Ussop Pirates that later became the Disciples of God Ussop. Has received top scores throughout his school career and is the author of a famous novel. Is well known for his clever strategies and mastery of hand-to-hand combat that always plays a hand in the victories of the Disciples of God Ussop._

"Ninjin calls you that too, you know," Piiman said.

"A lot less than you do, Piiman," Tamanegi said, "Then surely you don't mind me calling you by your old nickname, Pepper."

"Hey, I told you to keep my old nickname out of this!" Piiman shouted, both annoyed and embarrassed at the fact that he had a name like that.

"Enough, you two," The third male, who Tamanegi named Ninjin, said, lighting the cigar he had and breathing out the smoke before looking at the conscious pirate crawling away, "We've got ourselves a straggler."

 _Ninjin:_ _Former member of the Ussop Pirates that later became the Disciples of God Ussop. Is the most brutal to his enemies and is the bartender of Syrup Village. Was entrusted leadership over the Disciples of God Ussop and has lost track of how many pirate bones he broke._

"Seriously?" Piiman asked, "Color me shocked. I was sure my bat knocked him into next month."

"A sure sign that you should take stuff like this more seriously," Tamanegi said, pushing his glasses up.

Ninjin walked around the pirate to stand in his way of escaping, "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"P-please…have mercy…" The pirate pleaded in fear.

Ninjin breathed out another smoke directly onto the pirate. Without any hesitation or warning, he swiftly kicked the pirate straight in the face resulting in blood being spilt from his nose and mouth. The impact from the kick knocked the pirate unconscious.

"The next time you and your boys decide to pick a fight, you'd better pick your opponents carefully," Ninjin said, "Especially when you're all so painfully green. Your biggest mistake was messing with the Disciples of God Ussop."

"As brutal as always," Tamanegi said.

"Hope you didn't pop that dude's eyeballs with that kick like the last one, Ninjin," Piiman said.

"I was more precise this time," Ninjin said, looking at his empty cigar package, "Shit…I'm out of cigars now."

"We can buy you some more after we head back and report to Mrs. Kaya," Tamanegi said, "Poor lady, bless her heart, must be worried sick about us."

"I feel like she's acting too much like our mother sometimes," Piiman said.

Ninjin breathed out a last puff of smoke before throwing his used up cigar onto the unconscious pirate, "We're done here. Besides, today's the day. Piiman, is your project finished?"

"We're running a few tests to see if the girl won't fall apart, but she's about ready to go," Piiman said.

"Good," Ninjin said, "Hopefully our guests have arrived on this island. Let's head back to the mansion and wait for them."

"Of course," Tamanegi said.

"You got it, boss," Piiman said.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Syrup Village~~_

After a few long minutes of walking onto the path outlined by the ground, Belle and co. arrived at Syrup Village. The village was lively with its people walking around, couples conversing with one another, and parents play with their children.

The view made Yoshino feel envious, "Nice village here."

"Isn't it?" Belle asked, "I was only able to come here once, but it was a really nice place—the fresh, open air, the beautiful grass, and all the wonderful people. It's almost as if I never left at all."

"Must be nice…" Yoshino muttered.

"Anyways, my favorite place is the bar up ahead," Belle said, pointing at a small building named 'Meshi'

"That's a bar?" Ackmor asked.

"Looks more like a restaurant to me," Kaisetsu said.

"Plus I can smell food being cooked in there," Sakuya said.

"Yeah, when I was last here this place was a restaurant, but a good friend of mine added a bar section for himself to run," Belle said.

"I'm pretty sure none of us are in the legal drinking age," Yoshino said.

"We're not here to drink, silly Yoshi~," Belle said, letting out a small giggle much to Yoshino's irritation, "We're obviously here to eat. I've got enough money to pay for all of us."

"That's awfully generous of you, Belle," Kaisetsu said.

"It's the least I could do for my own official crewmates," Belle said.

"Hold on, I never said I would—"

"Now come on. I'm starving like a hippo right now," Belle said before she headed to the front door of Meshi completely, ignoring Yoshino.

"I think you mean tiger, Belle," Sakuya said, following Belle with Kaisetsu.

"Wait, tigers can starve?" Belle asked.

"Everything can starve, Belle," Kaisetsu said, holding in a laugh.

"Even little kittens?!" Belle shouted in fear, tears forming in her eyes.

Yoshino let out a deep sigh as he turned to Ackmor, "Those girls are something else, huh?"

"Belle is," Ackmor replied, "Not sure about the other two since I just met them."

"I…was being sarcastic," Yoshino said, sweat-dropping.

Yoshino and Ackmor then entered Meshi and took their seats next to the window with the girls sitting on one side and the boys on the other. They ordered their meals and were given some drinks to wait for a few minutes. During those few minutes, Belle decided to take the time to explain what had happened since Ackmor fell asleep on their way there from Sakuya's revelation as a siren to what they plan to do on the island.

"Huh, so you're a siren," Ackmor said, looking at Sakuya's ears, "Most people would mistaken you for an elf, you know."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Sakuya said, "Especially from little kids. If I had a handsome prince for every time they ask me about Santa…"

"You'd have none still," Yoshino said, irritated by the siren's odd behavior, thinking, _"She's oddly oblivious for a siren. Maybe she's like that to fool the others into thinking she's their friend?"_

"And now we're here for a surprise your dad left you with, right?" Ackmor asked.

"That's right," Belle said, "All I needed was four more people and you guys happened to fit that bill. It's almost like destiny brought us together."

"Yeah, no," Yoshino said, taking a sip of his drink, "I don't believe in scripted fate."

"Then how else do you explain the five of us coming together like this, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked happily, "I don't know about you, but I'm honestly excited. We're sharing our first meal together like a big family."

"A family?" Ackmor asked.

"Shishi, that sounds about right, Saki," Belle said, "I've always wanted a big, happy family to watch over. I wonder what our future members will be like."

"I'm hoping for some cool-headed ones, Belle," Kaisetsu said.

"Hey!" Belle shouted, "What are you implying, Kai?!"

"Come on, you know I have a point," Kaisetsu said, "Have you seen our parents and the way they act? You, me, and Sakuya are all lucky we had mothers to keep our fathers under control."

"That is true," Sakuya said, "Kaisetsu's dad and mine would always fight over the smallest things. They might have ended up killing each other if not for both of us crying like babies over them yelling at each other."

"S-Sakuya, not in front of the guys," Kaisetsu said, nudging Sakuya's elbow.

"Whoops," Sakuya said.

"No, it's fine," Ackmor said, scratching his head, "I just find it bizarre that you two had parents like that."

"I think you're only confused because we all haven't properly introduced each other," Belle said.

"Come again?" Yoshino asked.

"You're right," Kaisetsu said, "We did meet during an odd circumstance with the marines. After that, it's just been one thing after another, but we haven't even given our full names."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Yoshino asked.

"Yeah, what kind of pirates don't tell each other their full names?" Belle asked.

"Um…smart ones?" Yoshino asked.

"He does have a point, Belle," Sakuya said.

"Come on, it's kinda like introducing yourself to a random person," Belle said, wanting all of them to introduce themselves properly, "I feel bad that we're already eating together and we haven't done a proper introduction."

Yoshino let out a sigh, "Fine! But we better not do this with strangers outside of our group, got it?"

"Way ahead of you on that, Yoshi~!" Belle said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Yoshino asked, already tired for the day's antics.

"Until the next time I get serious," Belle answered, "Anyways, we should introduce ourselves the way I do so listen carefully," She said as she got ready to introduce herself.

"Wait, we have to do this in a formulaic fashion—"

By the time Ackmor asked that question, Belle had already begun her introduction, "It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Monkey D. Belle, daughter of the Pirate King: Monkey D. Luffy. My two favorite things are food and shiny things. My goal is to become the strongest pirate this sea has ever known."

Everyone remained quit for a moment as they only stared at Belle with bewildered expressions.

"Monkey D. Luffy?" Yoshino asked, "The same Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates? That's who your father is?"

"Yep," Belle said, "Surprising, isn't it?"

"More than just that," Yoshino said, "I didn't even know he even married, let alone have a child."

"Where did you hear of my dad, Yoshi?" Belle asked, "You seem oddly interested."

"My mother was—" Yoshino stopped himself, "No…nevermind…"

"Huh?" Belle asked.

"Forget about it," Yoshino said, "So we just have to do all of that, right?

"That's right," Belle answered, "Think you guys can do it like that?"

"I think it's…manageable," Ackmor said, "But I don't think I can—"

"Your orders are ready, sir's and madam's," The waiter of the restaurant interrupted as he passed out the food for the five of them.

"Awesome, now we can eat and talk," Belle said, before she pointed at Ackmor with a confident smile, "You're next, Acky~!"

"Me?" Ackmor asked, "I'm not sure I remember much about myself."

"Don't sweat that stuff," Belle said, casually waving her hand in the air, "Just say whatever comes natural."

"Okay then," Ackmor took some time to figure out what he needs to say in his introduction. Once he had figured it out, he began with, "Nice to meet you. My name is Ackmor. I want to recover the rest of my memories, and my favorite thing is…" The first thing he did was look on his plate and picked up the first thing he saw, which was a pineapple, "Pineapples!"

Again, silence fell on the entire table before Belle, Kaisetsu, and Sakuya started howling out in laughter.

"Hahahaha, that's so funny, Acky~!" Belle screamed, holding her gut.

"Out of all things, you chose a pineapple?!" Kaisetsu asked, wiping away her tears.

"That's so random, my prince!" Sakuya said, trying her hardest to remain mature in the eyes of her princes, but to no avail, "But I really like it…but it's still hilarious!"

Yoshino was sitting at the table completely silent at the whole ordeal before facepalming, "It's official. Our leader and her two friends are complete basket cases."

"Was it something I said?" Ackmor asked.

"It's nothing, Acky," Belle said, "I'll just remember to buy you some pineapples later."

"Okay, it's my turn," Sakuya said. She quickly prepped herself before she began, "Hello, my name is Sakuya Reevus: Adopted daughter of Black Leg Sanji of the Straw Hat Pirates. The one thing that matters the most to me above all else in this world are the handsome princes that my eyes gaze upon—especially the two princes that sit across from me who have such dreamy eyes—"

"I wonder if no one will mind if I gag this girl," Yoshino muttered to himself as Ackmor looked at the siren with the most confused expression he could give.

"—My dream that I aspire to the most, is to search for my real family, and to also one day be married to the prince whom captures my heart," Sakuya finished, placing both her hands on her chest.

"I love this side of you so much, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, holding in a laugh, "It's so damn entertaining."

"Shut up!" Sakuya shouted angrily.

"You're adopted, Sakuya?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes," Sakuya said, "Twice actually. My first father through adoption was a man named Dojima Varan. He took me in when I was but a newborn. I was happy with him, even though I soon learned the truth…but then…" Sakuya clenched her fist suddenly feeling pain on her chest.

"You don't need to relive your past for our sakes, you know," Yoshino said seriously.

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said.

"If it's too painful for you, just don't tell us so you don't suffer as a result," Yoshino said.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Kaisetsu said.

"I'm speaking from common sense," Yoshino said, even though he knew that Kaisetsu was right.

"Dojima Varan?" Ackmor asked before a sense of familiarity came upon him, _"Where have I heard that name before?"_

After a few seconds of silence, Yoshino decided that it was his turn, "Anyways, I guess I should get this over with. My name is Yoshino Hoshida. My mother is Sango Hoshida, a warrior whose archery skills are second to none. What I love is archery, if you haven't guess already. My dream…" His mind drifted the moment he realized something, _"My dream, huh? It's been a long while since I've took the time to think about that."_

"Yoshi?" Belle asked, "You okay?"

Yoshino snapped out of his trance, "I'm…still thinking about a goal for myself. Sorry…I'm a bit too focused on the Mizu Blade right now."

"Heh, no wonder you're constantly zoning out," Kaisetsu said with a giggle.

"I'm not zoning out," Yoshino said.

"That's alright, Yoshino," Belle said, "Even though you don't know what to do in life, you'll find that out eventually."

"And that leaves me last," Kaisetsu said, clearing her throat, "Hello, friends. My name is Roronoa Kaisetsu, daughter of the Strongest Swordsman to ever live, Roronoa Zoro. My most prized possession is this sword," She said taking out her purple sword, "Murasaki: A gift from my sister, Roronoa Morgana. My goal in life is to surpass my father and become the strongest swordswoman who ever lived!"

"What an inspirational goal, Kai," Belle said, wiping away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, "Wanting to be stronger than your father is no easy feat."

"Well I like it when they're not easy," Kaisetsu said, "It makes life much more interesting."

"Isn't this great, guys?" Belle asked, excited that all of them went through their introduction, "We've gotten to know each other a little better."

"Did we?" Ackmor asked, not feeling any difference in how he feels about being in the group.

"It may not feel like much, but it's only just an introduction," Sakuya said, "I'm sure we'll all become one, big, happy crew in the near future."

" _A happy group of pirates?"_ Yoshino thought to himself, _"Like something that stupid is possible."_

"Anyways, let's chow down on our food before it gets cold~!" Belle said, eagerly picking up her fork.

"And now I have to watch four people eat meat in front of me," Yoshino muttered, picking up his fork to eat his salad, "Being a vegetarian is hell."

The group finished their meals and left Meshi after Belle paid the bill. There were now on the road to Kaya's mansion with Belle leading the way.

"Ah, that was delicious~!" Belle said, still feeling the sensation of the good food she ate.

"I will admit: the food was good," Yoshino said, "But I'm starting to feel like we're wasting too much time."

"Why do you say that?" Ackmor asked.

"Because every minute we waste, the trail of the Mizu Blade grows colder," Yoshino said.

"That's if he had a trail to begin with," Kaisetsu said.

"Well why don't we discuss this at Auntie Kaya's mansion then?" Belle asked.

"Another mansion?" Yoshino asked.

"I know, isn't it weird?" Belle asked, giggling a little at the strange coincidence. "It's not as big and exciting as the last mansion, but unlike that mansion, Auntie Kaya's feels like home. Trust me."

"Well if you think we can trust this Kaya person, then by all means," Ackmor said.

"Does this mean I get to see Nelson-kun again?" Sakuya asked.

"Nelson who?" Yoshino asked.

"Nelson is another friend of ours," Kaisetsu said, "He's Ussop and Kaya's son."

"Also," Belle whispered to Yoshino and Ackmor, "He's Sakuya's first crush and is probably the reason she acts the way she does."

"Then I hate him," Yoshino said, slightly angry that it was a man who caused Sakuya to act this way.

"We should be close to the mansion soon," Belle said as Kaya's mansion came into their view, "Word of advice: If you see three guys in suits, don't do anything to tick them off."

"Three guys in suits?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, you'll know them when you see them," Belle said as the group arrived at the front gates of Kaya's luxurious mansion, "Here we are!"

"Whoa…" Ackmor said in awe. "It's a lot bigger than it looked in the distance."

"Yeah, that's how all mansions are like," Belle said as sparkles floated around her smirking face, "But this mansion is the best one because it has the most comfortable beds, plus Auntie Kaya's rich to boot."

"Oh boy," Sakuya said, "Her mother's side is showing."

"Excuse me," A voice called as the group turned to see a maid standing at the gate, "Are you the people Lady Kaya is expecting?"

"Auntie Kaya is expecting us?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Hi, Mrs. Ina~!" Belle greeted with a happy wave.

"Belle, I'm glad to see you again," The maid named Ina said, "How have you been?"

"I've been great," Belle said, "Is Auntie Kaya here?"

"Yes, she is," Ina said as she gestured the group to follow her, "This way, please."

"Wow, just like that," Yoshino said as they followed the maid into the mansion, "I wish it was this easy at the last mansion."

"Do you know this maid, Belle?" Sakuya asked.

"Yep," Belle said, "Auntie Kaya baby-sitted me a few years back when my parents went on one of their anniversary trips. Ina was nice to me and cooked me delicious food. Now I kinda wish we hadn't eaten at that restaurant."

"You didn't think about getting food here?" Yoshino asked.

"I didn't think Ina would be here today since today should have been her day off," Belle said, "I wonder what's up."

"Here we are," Ina said, stopping in front of the doors that lead into the main lobby, "Please make sure to show the utmost respect around Lady Kaya."

"Will do~!" Belle said.

They entered the main lobby once Ina opened the doors for them. There they saw the three men in suits, Ninjin, Tamanegi, and Piiman sitting in three, separate sofas.

"Yo, Belle, took you long enough," Ninjin said, a smug smirk on his face.

"Interesting," Tamanegi said, "You arrived 240 seconds later than we anticipated, Miss Belle."

"You could have just said four minutes, Four Eyes," Ninjin said, rolling his eyes.

"Glad you could make it here, Belle," Piiman said with a smile, "And on time too."

"Hiya, Piiman," Belle greeted with a smile, "I must say you three have really grown since we last saw each other. You look like you could take me on in a wrestling match."

"Haha, that sounds like an interesting proposition, but I think I'll pass," Piiman said, "I've had my fill of fun from some weak pirates."

"Wow, then you finally made it," Belle said, "Finally beating the living shit out of invaders like a true Usopp pirate."

"That's because we worked hard in training, unlike Tamanegi," Ninjin said, "We wanted you to be surprised by our sudden change in stature."

"The only stature that has changed here are Piiman's and mine," Tamanegi said, "Ninjin's stature…leaves much to be desired."

"The fuck did you say, Four Eyes?!" Ninjin asked, pissed at Tamanegi's jab towards him.

"Thus proving my point," Tamanegi said.

"Alright, both of you, we have guests here," Piiman said, "Save your anger for the next batch of invaders."

"Are Ninjin and Tamanegi arguing again?" A woman's voice asked.

Everyone turned to the stare case to see a beautiful, blonde woman walking down the stare case.

Belle was absolutely happy to see the woman, "Auntie Kaya~!"

"Belle, it's so wonderful to see you again," Kaya said with a warm smile, "And I see that you brought friends with you."

"Yep, these are my official crewmembers," Belle said stepping to a side, "Wanna introduce yourselves?"

"I'm Roronoa Kaisetsu," Kaisetsu introduced herself.

"Sakuya Reevus," Sakuya said next.

"Kaisetsu and Sakuya," Kaya said, looking at both of them before smiling, "I had a feeling Belle would bring you two along. Nelson told me everything about you two."

"Nelson-kun?!" Sakuya asked, "Is he here now?"

"Sadly, no," Kaya said, "Nelson told me that he wasn't going to be home for a long time."

"Aw…" Sakuya said.

"I wouldn't worry about Nelson," Kaisetsu said, "If he believes he can handle himself, then we just have to trust in him. More importantly, I am mortified that this is our first time seeing you in person, Auntie Kaya. I never had much time to see anyone outside my family after I started training with my father."

"The same goes for me too," Sakuya said.

"It's okay, you two," Kaya said, "I'm just happy we finally get to meet," She said before turning to Ackmor and Yoshino, "And I know I haven't seen nor heard of either of you two around here."

"I don't blame you," Yoshiko said, looking over to the side, "I try my best not to let people know about me, and I don't stay on islands aside from my home island long."

"I see," Kaya said.

"Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino said, "And just for the record, I am not an official pirate. I'm just tagging along until I find something."

"And my name is Ackmor," Ackmor said.

"Ackmor?" Kaya asked, "What an odd name."

"Auntie Kaya, don't call it odd," Belle said, "I took a lot of time and dedication into picking that name."

"I'm pretty sure you came up with it on the spot, Belle," Ackmor said.

"You had your name made for you?" Kaya asked.

"Ackmor-kun is still suffering from amnesia, I'm afraid," Sakuya said.

"I regained some of my memories, but not enough," Ackmor said.

"Well I hope you one day regain all of your memories, Ackmor," Kaya said, "You all must be tired after your trip to get here. I'll have Ina prepare your rooms for the coming evening."

"You'd do that for us?" Kaisetsu asked, surprised by Kaya's hospitality.

"Of course," Kaya said, "It isn't like a trained doctor such as I to turn away worn out guests. In the meantime, feel free to walk around the mansion."

"But do be careful not to destroy any expensive property," Tamanegi said, glaring at Ninjin, "We can't afford another luxurious vase being broken like last time."

"For the love of—that vase should not have been there of all places and you know it, Tamanegi!" Ninjin shouted.

"And don't worry about any pirates bothering you," Piiman said, "The three of us will mop the floor with them."

"Are you sure, Piiman?" Belle asked, "The five of us are just as capable of handling pirates."

"I appreciate the offer, but you all need your rest," Piiman said, "Plus, I'm sure you have a journey to prepare for."

"Oh that's right!" Belle shouted, placing her hand on her forehead, "We'll need supplies and everything."

"You can handle that tomorrow," Kaya said, "The markets are unfortunately closing for the evening."

"Dang…" Belle said.

"Ina, would kindly show our guests their rooms?" Kaya asked.

"Of course, Lady Kaya," Ina said before heading upstairs to the guest hallways, "Please follow me."

"Well, time for me to get a cigar already," Piiman said.

"The markets are closed, Piiman," Ninjin pointed out.

"Who said I was getting cigars from the market?" Piiman asked, "I'm just gonna go home, smoke a bit from the remaining ones of have, and crash on the bed."

"Revolting," Tamanegi said, "To think Captain Ussop appointed you as our leader."

"Haha, you're too funny, Tamanegi," Piiman said as the three men left the mansion.

Belle turned to her crew as they followed Ina to their rooms, "Hey guys, I got an idea. How about a sleepover party?!"

"Oh, I think that would be a wonderful idea," Sakuya said, excited at the thought of her princes being in the same room as her.

"No thanks," Yoshino said, "I'm going to take a shower and then sleep."

"Oh come on, Yoshi," Belle pouted, "Don't be such a pooper of parties."

"What kind of teenagers would still throw sleepovers?" Yoshino asked, annoyed that Belle is insistent on her stupid request, "Especially when it's a sleepover with the boys being with the girls?"

"What are you talking about?" Belle said, "Guys your age would leap at a girl's offer to sleepover with them."

"I know what you're trying to do, Belle," Yoshino said, "It's not gonna work. Now can we drop this already?"

"I think we should have a quick sleepover," Kaisetsu said.

"We should?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes, Ackmor, but only to continue our talk about you and nothing else," Kaisetsu said.

"Me?" Ackmor asked.

"I was thinking that we should do that tomorrow, but sure," Yoshino said with a shrug, "Might as well get that out the way."

"Here are your rooms, everyone," Ina said, stopping in front of them, "The girls' room is to my left and the boys' to my right. Please try not to make any loud noises, for we have more than only you as our guests."

"Will do, Ms. Ina," Belle said as Ina gave Belle the keys to the room and left to return to her duties, "Alright, let's go to the boys' room for our quick sleepover."

"We're not going to the girls' room for the sleepover?" Ackmor asked.

"Shishishi, with you boys?" Belle asked with an ominous smile, "Fuck no!" She shouted before she unlocked the door to the boys' guest room.

The boys' guest room was bigger than everyone thought it would be. It contained two large, comfortable beds with a wide window covered by white sheets.

"Wow," Sakuya said in awe.

"What did I tell you?" Belle asked with a pleasing smile, "Auntie Kaya is one rich woman."

"And we get to stay here for free?" Kaisetsu asked, "Neat."

Ackmor was curious about the wide window in front of them and decided to move the sheets out of the way to get a good view of the outside, "Whoa…we're this high up?"

"Yep," Belle said, "About three floors out of five. Auntie Kaya's mansion didn't have this many rooms in the past, but since she is a renown doctor, she's been getting patients left and right."

"That makes sense," Yoshino said, staring at the white beds, "So when are we going to get this over with?"

"Ah, the small slumber party," Belle said.

"It's not a party, Belle," Kaisetsu said, sitting down on a desk chair, "We seriously need to continue our discussion from before."

"From when I blacked out, right?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes," Kaisetsu said, "Ackmor, you said before that you were pursuing a black haired woman with yellow eyes because you believe she is the suspect of "The Black Thorn Assassinations", right?"

"That's right," Ackmor said.

"Could you explain to us what that is?" Sakuya asked.

"The Black Thorn Assassinations are a series of murders that have all started 15 years ago," Ackmor explained, "A marine known as 'The Marine Prodigy', Ryas Udina, was murdered. The weapons that were used to kill him were huge, black thorns sticking out of his entire body."

"Huge…black thorns?" Belle asked, her eyes widened as if she had a startling realization.

"This sounds all too familiar to me," Kaisetsu said, her hands tightening around her arms.

"…Don't tell me…" Sakuya whispered, getting the same realization as well.

"…" Yoshino looked down and away from the others to hide his guilt-stricken face.

Their reactions made Ackmor feel uneasy, "Are you guys okay?"

"D-don't worry about us, Ackmor," Belle said, "Keep going. I have a feeling that all of us need to know about this."

"There were five more victims, but I don't remember who they are, unfortunately," Ackmor said, "I could only remember so much."

"That's fine, Ackmor…" Belle said in a dark tone.

"It is?" Ackmor asked, caught off guard by Belle's statement.

"I've already put two and two together," Belle said, "There's something you need to know. Kaisetsu, Sakuya, and I all know at least four people who were killed by this Black Thorn Assassin."

"Huh, you do?" Ackmor asked.

"Yes," Sakuya said, "I told you all before that I was adopted twice. My second father was Black Leg Sanji."

"And your first was Dojima Varan, right?" Yoshino asked.

"Yeah, it's a long story, but when I was little, I saw what happened to him," Sakuya said, feeling a chill up her spine when she remembered, "His body also had black thorns covering his whole body."

"Dojima Varan?" Ackmor asked, before he realized, "Wait, now I remember! Dojima Varan was the second victim of the Black Thorn Assassinations."

"I heard stories about that man," Belle said, "He was the Vice Admiral who personally trained Ryas Udina."

"So there's a connection with the first and second victim?" Yoshino asked.

"It seemed that way at first for the marines, but I remember that after the second victim, things got more complicated," Ackmor said, "The remaining four victims were killed three years later."

Belle and Kaisetsu both looked at each other before Belle spoke up, "My sister: Monkey D. Merry and Kaisetsu's sister: Roronoa Morgana along with her fiancé: Jacob Wright. Those are the three victims we know."

"What?" Ackmor asked, "Are you certain of this?"

"Our families were close," Kaisetsu said, "Belle, Sakuya, and I were in a mess when we heard the news of those three deaths."

"Is it alright for you to be telling us this?" Ackmor asked.

"I'm fine, Ackmor," Belle said with a forced smile, "As long as I figure out why Merry died, it just might be worth it."

"I feel the same way," Kaisetsu said, "Morgana and Jacob both meant a lot to me and my parents. The fact that their killer is still lose…is unforgivable…"

"Mr. Varan was the first person who saved my life," Sakuya said, "I would do anything to make sure my debt is repaid to him."

"So all three of you had someone dear to you taken from this murderer," Yoshino said.

"Is that the same for you, Yoshino?" Belle asked.

"…Yes," Yoshino said, his hands resting on his head in lament, "My little sister, Luka Hoshida."

"Yoshino-kun…" Sakuya said.

"After I get the Mizu Blade back, I've wanted to find her killer and bring her soul to rest," Yoshino said, "Every night I sleep, I could hear her cries. It's torture."

"So all four of you are related to the victims of the Black Thorn Assassination?" Ackmor asked.

"Apparently," Belle said, "I didn't expect Yoshino to have some sort of connection to it."

"I find it odd that I ran into other people who were affected by this as well," Yoshino said.

" _Yeah…it feels a little too convenient,"_ Ackmor thought to himself before speaking up, "So the first two victims were well-known marines, the third was a little girl, the fourth and fifth victim were a couple, and the sixth was another little girl."

"But what connects all of those murders?" Kaisetsu asked, "The third to the sixth victims had no connection to the first two."

"That's what the marines thought too," Ackmor said, "And as a result, they're slowly but surely giving up on the investigation."

"Are you serious?" Belle asked.

"Well, they've conducted several investigations regarding the Black Thorn Assassinations, but they have not been able to turn up any leads," Ackmor explained, "As a result, the case became cold and rumors of these murders began to surface. The government was hoping to keep the Black Thorn Assassinations a secret to prevent mass panic due to the unknown nature of the murders."

"I wouldn't blame them," Yoshino said, "The first victim was a prodigy—a person with the potential to be a strong marine soldier."

"So now you know why I was on Chikai Island," Ackmor said, "I fought against a blacked haired woman with yellow eyes because it is suspected that she has some form of connection to these murders."

"Who sent you?" Sakuya asked.

"That, I don't know," Ackmor said, "But it must be someone whose word I trust if I did as I was told. Not only that but…" Ackmor then looked at his hands worriedly.

"…but…?" Belle asked, finding it weird that Ackmor suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

"It's nothing," Ackmor said, "I've explained all that I know so far. Now that I remember my mission, I cannot join your crew."

"You can't?" Belle asked.

"I'm afraid so," Ackmor said, "Innocent people were killed by this Black Thorn Assassin. For them, I need to catch the criminal behind their deaths," But before the others could say anything, Ackmor then stood up, "In any case, I believe it's time for us to sleep. I hope you all have a good rest." He said before sitting on his bed.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Yoshino said, before he sat on his bed as well.

"Okay then, good night, boys," Belle said as she and the girls left the boy's room to return to their rooms.

When all three of them sat down, Kaisetsu immediately saw the conflict on Belle's face, "Something wrong, Belle?"

"Yeah, you look troubled," Sakuya said.

"Ah…" Belle rubbed her head before yawning, "I'll talk about it tomorrow morning. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so," Kaisetsu said, turning her attention to the window.

"Anyways, I call dibs on the shower!" Belle shouted, getting ready to take her clothes off.

"No fair, Belle!" Sakuya shouted angrily, "I was going to go into the shower first."

"Did you call dibs?" Belle asked, sticking out a tongue, "No? Too bad, too sad~!"

"Kaisetsu!" Sakuya called to Kaisetsu, "Tell Belle to let me in the shower first!"

"What?!" Belle asked in shock, "You wouldn't dare sick Kai onto me! I thought we were peas in a pod, Saki!"

"You mean yin and yang, Belle," Sakuya said.

Kaisetsu shook her head, embarrassed at how the two were acting, _"Guess I'm the big sister…as usual…"_ She thought to herself, but she knew that once the two stop fighting and they all take turns taking a shower, the sleep she'll get will be lovely.

And that's exactly what happened.

 **XxxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~The Boy's Room~~_

Ackmor and Yoshino were still in their rooms sitting across from each other. Yoshino had tension surrounding him as a thought crossed his mind.

"Hey Ackmor," Yoshino suddenly spoke up.

"Yes?" Ackmor asked.

"There's something that has been bothering me lately," Yoshino said, "And it has something to do with you."

"With me?" Ackmor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You see…I have yet to explain to you all how I fight, nor did I get the chance to show you," Yoshino said, taking out the Fujin Yumi and activating it, much to Ackmor's surprise.

"Wait, that's not a stick?" Ackmor asked, surprised that something like that would be a bow—a special one at that.

"No," Yoshino said, "This is the Fujin Yumi, an ancient weapon passed down the Hoshida family for generations. The only reason why I and many of my successors before me are able to wield this weapon is because of our unique connection to souls."

"Connection with souls?" Ackmor asked.

"Whenever I desire, I can look at the state of another person's soul," Yoshino said, "I did the same with those girls when we talked to them…but I found some disturbing things when I did."

"They did tell us that their loved ones were murdered when they were young," Ackmor said.

"But you, Ackmor…" Yoshino said, "I don't sense anything in you."

"…" Ackmor stayed quiet when Yoshino had said that.

"No soul, no spirit," Yoshino said, "Ackmor…are you even human?"

Ackmor again remembered the lines the black haired woman told him back on Chikai Island.

" _You don't have to follow their orders like a machine."_

"…No, I am not a human," Ackmor said, looking at Yoshino seriously before his blue eyes turned red and almost mechanical as if he was analyzing Yoshino's body, "I am an android."

* * *

 **And there you have it. I know not much happened in this chapter because it's just characters talking, but I'm trying to set up the main plot of this entire story: The Black Thorn Assassinations and the way Belle and her crew are all connected to it in some way. So I'm excited to start writing this plot out cause I already have it planned out.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow and also stop by on my discord server if you are interested in chatting with me without using pm's. I personally prefer discord cause I check it all the time and pm's I can easily miss for a long time if I'm not careful.**

 **Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	10. Gecko Arc Chp 2: The Oathkeeper Pirates

**Jurabi: Heeeelloooo~! This is Espada D. Jurabi here bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. And yes I finally managed to update in less than a month! Fucking hell yes! And it's a chapter with 13k+ words. Merry Christmas everyone! :D**

 **A few things before we get started. I got a very interesting question from ShinigamiMaster asking what voice actor would be voicing my characters.**

 **Belle: Lindsay Jones's Ruby Rose**

 **Ackmor: Johnny Yong Bosch's Ichigo Kurosaki**

 **Kaisetsu: Brina Palencia's Ayra (Fun Fact: Same VA as Chopper)**

 **Sakuya: Jill Harris's Noelle**

 **Yoshino: Richard Ian Cox's Inuyasha**

 **There's one more character, but I'm going to wait until the end of this chapter to tell you their voice actor. If you have different interpretations on the voice of my characters, I'd like to know for curiosity's sake.**

 **The next thing is depressing. I heard the news while I was working on the chapter...well actually I heard a lot of news. Stan Lee and Stephen Hillenburg have both passed away. I did not want to believe the news but fuck...reality really hurts when you don't want it to. It really sucks because I really enjoyed all the Marvel movies and Stan Lee cameos, and most of my comedy is inspired by Spongebob pre-movie.**

 **Sorry to bring such a sad topic on you guys, but as a person who was a big fan of marvel heroes and Spongebob, I am so torn from the news.**

 **So please enjoy this chapter in anyway you can. Thanks.**

 **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates...**

 _ **Sakuya: The one thing that matters the most to me above all else in this world are the handsome princes that my eyes gaze upon—especially the two princes that sit across from me who have such dreamy eyes—**_

 _ **Yoshino: I wonder if no one will mind if I gag this girl.**_

 **And now...back to making oaths…**

* * *

 **The Oathkeeper Pirates**

"An android?" Yoshino asked, shocked after hearing Ackmor's revelation. He took a close look at the android's red eyes and could tell that they too were abnormal to belong to a human.

"An artificial being designed to resemble a human," Ackmor said, "I have flesh like humans, but on the inside I have the heart and mind of a machine."

"No wonder I couldn't sense a soul inside you," Yoshino said, "Since you have the mind of a machine, you take orders like one too, right?"

"I don't know," Ackmor said, "All that I know is that I have this one purpose to stop the Black Thorn Assassination."

"Hm…so you have the same mission that I will have once I get the Mizu Blade," Yoshino said, looking like he was about to say something else to Ackmor. He felt like he could trust Ackmor now that he's revealed himself to be an android, and he now believes that Ackmor wouldn't object to what Yoshino would want to do.

"Yoshino?" Ackmor called out to the dazed boy.

"Hm?" Yoshino asked, snapping out of his line of thought.

"Were you about to say something else?" Ackmor asked.

"No," Yoshino said, shaking his head. Now isn't the time to tell Ackmor yet, "I'm just feeling tired. I'm going to get some sleep now. 'Night," He said before he lay down on his bed.

" _He sure doesn't like to say much, does he?"_ Ackmor thought to himself before laying down on his bed as well and eventually falling asleep.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

The next morning, Ackmor and Yoshino had woken up from their sleep and met with the girls in the lobby after Kaisetsu had wakened them up early.

Belle and Sakuya's hairs looked as if they had just gotten up, much to Yoshino's subtle amusement.

Belle noticed the archer chuckle and twitched her eyebrow, "And what are you laughing at, Yoshi?!"

"Nothing," Yoshino said with a smug, sarcastic tone, "I hope you didn't toss too much in your sleep, Ms. Belle."

"Not my fault Kai woke us up so early," Belle growled.

"Oh get over it, Belle," Kaisetsu said, "This is the group you want to start the pirate life with, right? Well my dad said that waking up early is the first thing you must master when becoming a strong pirate."

"That sounds odd coming from your dad, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said.

"Yeah, your dad couldn't wake up to the sounds of a tortured cat if his life depended on it," Belle said.

"Hey, he's gotten better with his sleeping habits," Kaisetsu said.

"I think you mean to say 'worse'," Belle said.

"Um…girls?" Yoshino called out, getting their attention, "If you are done bickering, there's something Ackmor and I need to talk to you about."

Yoshino and Ackmor explained to the girls about the fact that Ackmor was an android which both shocked and freaked the girls out.

"Wait, what?!" They all shouted.

"A-an android?!" Sakuya asked.

"That's right," Ackmor said, turning his eyes red.

"But…you look so human!" Kaisetsu shouted, taking a small, defensive stance.

"How cruel of you to keep that secret from me, Acky~!" Belle shouted angrily.

"To be honest, I didn't want you to know," Ackmor confessed, "Something about me being an android…bothers me. I can't quite explain it."

"But then I eventually spoke up about him not having a soul," Yoshino said, "You can thank me later."

"No soul?" Kaisetsu asked, "But Ackmor is showing emotions, is he not?"

"Yes, but that must be in his programming," Yoshino said. "Being able to show emotions is quite unusual for an android. From the stories I've heard, there was only who had that ability temporarily."

"So…you're an android," Sakuya said, letting this fact sink in.

"Yes, I am," Ackmor said, rubbing his head, "I hope there isn't anything wrong with that."

"Oh no!" Sakuya said, blushing, "I think you being an android has made you twice as handsome, my dear prince."

"Oh brother…" Yoshino said, rolling his eyes, "She's into androids now?"

"How would that even work?" Kaisetsu asked, turning to Belle for an answer.

"Beats me," Belle said, "But I think it's cool that you're an android, Acky."

"You think it's cool?" Ackmor asked.

"Yep," Belle said, "Like I said: my crew needs to be made up of cool and smart people."

"Speaking of crew, we never figured out our jobs as pirates, have we?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Jobs?" Yoshino asked.

"More like positions, really," Sakuya said.

"Oh right, I forgot about that," Belle said, "Since Ackmor was the first to join in on our group long before we met up together, he is obviously the First-Mate."

"What's a first-mate?" Ackmor asked.

"Eh, it's basically a free role given to the first person besides the captain to join a crew," Kaisetsu said, "I was told that they usually have undying loyalty to the captain."

"Wait, you think I'm going to have that level of loyalty?" Ackmor asked.

"It's fine with me if you don't want go that far with your loyalty, Acky," Belle said, "As long as you are willing to stick with me through a few bumps on the sea."

Ackmor took a second to think about Belle's over before deciding, "Alright, consider me your first-mate."

"Awesome~!" Belle shouted, "Then that makes Kaisetsu the Vice Captain!"

"I'm glad you remember our promise all those years ago, Belle," Kaisetsu said with a confident, nostalgic smile.

"Aw, you know I wouldn't do you bad like that, Kai," Belle said.

"Just don't let the authority get to your head, sword princess," Sakuya said, "Who knows? Maybe this crew will end up adopting children rather than adults or something. You sure you want that kind of responsibility?"

"Better me than you, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, "You get easily distracted even when you were a kid and those two boys would have made your job as vice captain difficult from the get-go."

"I don't get distracted!" Sakuya shouted, "My attention just…shifts."

"Sure it does," Kaisetsu said, shaking her head.

"Well then, there's no one better than me to cook the food that will keep all of you alive," Sakuya said, "No doubt you two girls suck at cooking."

"Wait, you were being serious about the cooking thing?" Yoshino asked. He honestly thought the offer Sakuya made to him back on Chikai Island to "cook him something to commemorate their fateful meeting" was a silly joke.

"Of course I was being serious, my sweet prince Yoshino-kun," Sakuya said, blushing, "Anything I do for you and Ackmor-kun is taken with the utmost seriousness. Why, I would tear out my own li—"

"Okay, that's enough!" Yoshino shouted, "Don't want to hear anymore…disturbing details!"

"So we have a vice captain and a cook," Belle said, poking her head, "What else are we missing?"

"Just so we're all on the same page, we are going to the Grandline, correct?' Ackmor asked.

"That's right," Belle said, "I heard stories about that place. Danger at every corner underneath the oceans, islands that feel like hell itself, and monsters that can make a big ship into a toothpick."

"Are you sure you want to go there, Belle?" Yoshino asked, "Sounds like a sanctuary for psychos."

"I am well aware of the dangers waiting for us in the Grandline," Belle said, "But I need this."

"Why?" Ackmor asked.

"Let's just say…that I swore an oath to my sister," Belle said.

"An oath?" Yoshino asked.

"I can only fulfill this oath in the Grandline," Belle said, "But I know full well that I won't be able to do this alone. That's why I'm trying to wait until I have at least six people, counting myself, in my crew before we head there."

"So we need one more person?" Kaisetsu asked.

"You mean two more people," Yoshino said, reminding them that he has no intention of officially joining.

"That's right," Belle said, "I'm just trying to think about what else we need."

"Belle, I think you're forgetting about a navigator and a doctor," Sakuya pointed out.

"Oh right!" Belle said, "Thanks, Saki. Well for navigator I kinda got the basics of navigating from my mom. But for a doctor, I'm afraid I don't have much."

"What do you need a navigator for?" Ackmor asked.

"To help us get from island to island," Kaisetsu replied, "The Grandline is full of twists and turns from its weather to its currents."

"Hey, Acky, you have a build-in navigation system, don't you?" Belle asked.

"What makes you think that?" Ackmor asked.

"Well, you're an android and all," Belle said, "You have to get around somehow."

"I'm afraid I don't recall ever doing something like navigation," Ackmor said.

"Aw…drat," Belle said, scratching her head in frustration.

"However, I am willing to give it a shot and see if I can quickly learn," Ackmor said, "Androids take in information much better than humans can."

"Really?!" Belle asked, "That's great!"

"But, I will need something from you in return," Ackmor said.

"In return?" Sakuya asked.

"Yes," Ackmor said, "Overnight, I've had a great deal of thought into my mission. More than anything, I want to put a stop to the Black Thorn Assassin, but I realized that I lost against my prime suspect and ended up losing my memory. So…I…" Ackmor stopped himself, realizing that by requesting this, he's admitting himself to be inadequate for the job.

"You want us to help you stop the Black Thorn Assassin?" Belle asked.

"…Yes I am," Ackmor said.

"Sure, you've got my help," Belle said.

"Are you certain, Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"Why even ask her that?" Kaisetsu asked, "I'm in as well."

"Me three!" Sakuya shouted.

"We lost good people to the person behind these murders," Belle said, "Besides, the idea of pirates hunting down a serial murderer sounds neat."

Ackmor let out a smile, "Very well. You might have your navigator, Belle."

"Awesome!" Belle shouted before she began running back to the girls room, "I'll get all my notes together and tell you everything my mom told me. Be right back~!"

"Are you going to help me as well, Yoshino?" Ackmor asked, turning to Yoshino.

"Don't get me wrong," Yoshino began, "I want to catch this bastard as much as you do, but not until I…complete my mission."

"The Mizu Blade, right," Ackmor said remembering Yoshino's mission.

"After I return it home, I might consider joining," Yoshino said.

"You might?" Sakuya asked excitedly.

"Don't get your hopes up, siren," Yoshino said, bearing a menacing glare towards Sakuya.

"Then what would you be if you did end up joining, Yoshino?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Look-out," Yoshino said, "There's no way I can be an archer if I can see a few ships coming from miles away."

"That suits you perfectly," Kaisetsu said, "Now all we need is a ship, weeks-worth of supplies, and we'll be set to go."

"I see you four are up and early," Kaya said, walking down the stairs after waking up.

"Morning, Auntie Kaya," Sakuya greeted her, "We're just discussing about our roles in our pirate crew."

"That's great," Kaya said, taking a seat on her chair, "I'm a little surprised though. Your group seems calmer compared to Luffy-san's."

"Is it?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yes, I don't ever recall Luffy taking a minute to sit down and discuss things with his crew," Kaya said, "At least not until these recent years when you were born."

"If you don't mind me asking," Yoshino said, looking the other way, "What was this Monkey D. Luffy like?"

"Oh?" Sakuya had a smug grin on her face when Yoshino showed curiosity for Belle's father, "Am I detecting a note of interest from you, Yoshino-kun?"

"Hell no!" Yoshino shouted, "I just want to know what kind of person Belle's father is so I will know what to expect from Belle herself."

"I'm back~!" Belle shouted, hopping down the stairs excitedly, "What did I miss?"

"Good morning, Belle," Kaya said, "I was just about to tell Yoshino about the similarities between you and your father."

"What?" Belle said before she scofted, "Oh please, the only two things my dad and I have in common are our laughs and our assertiveness."

"Assertiveness?" Yoshino asked, "I think you mean annoyance."

"What was that, Yoshi?!" Belle asked angrily.

"Hehe, I'm more than happy to tell you all about Luffy-san, Yoshino," Kaya said, "But first, I need to go out for some shopping. I assume you five need to do the same?"

"Can't you just let your servants shop for you?" Ackmor asked.

"I could, but I prefer to do the shopping for myself," Kaya said, "And with Ninjin, Tamanegi, and Piiman doing such a wonderful job protecting this island, visiting the market shouldn't be a danger at all."

"Still, it doesn't hurt to have someone there with you, Auntie Kaya," Belle said, turning to Kaisetsu, "Hey, Kai, would you, Saki, and Yoshi mind going to the market with Kaya?"

"Us?" Yoshino asked.

"With Yoshino-kun?!" Sakuya asked excitedly.

"Wouldn't it be better if I went myself, Belle?" Kaisetsu asked, "Yoshino and Sakuya don't seem to get along well."

"That's why I want them to go with you, Kai," Belle said, "I need to teach Ackmor all that I know about navigation, but I won't be able to do it if those two cause a ruckus."

"Me cause a ruckus?" Yoshino asked, baffled that Belle would make such a claim, "It's not my fault this siren swoons at me whenever I so much as breathe in her direction."

"My apologies, my dear prince Yoshino, but my urges are so difficult to control whenever I catch sight of your allure and radiance," Sakuya said.

"Then get them under control," Yoshino said harshly.

"Alright, that's enough you two," Kaisetsu said, pulling both Sakuya and Yoshino with her as Kaya followed suit, "The sooner we get everything we need from the market, the sooner I don't have to babysit you."

"We'll be back soon~!" Kaya shouted as they left the mansion to Belle and Ackmor.

"Okay, Acky," Belle said, standing up, "Follow me to the library."

"There's a library in this mansion?" Ackmor said.

"Oh yes," Belle said, "I spotted it on the way in. It's totes cool~!"

Belle and Ackmor both entered a large library which had dozens of rows of shelves filled to the brim with different colored books.

"Wow…" Ackmor was surprised by how big the library is.

"You should see Auntie Robin's library," Belle said, "This place is nothing compared to that monster of a building."

"So what exactly are we looking for here, Belle?" Ackmor asked, looking at the books on the shelves as they walked by the isle.

"For a quiet place to study," Belle said before she spotted a single table with dozens of chairs, "Here we go," She sat down at a chair and gestured Ackmor to do the same. Once the android had sat down with her, Belle took out a green pouch and began shuffling through it, "Okay, Acky, let's get started on Navigation Class 101~! I'll do my best not to bore you."

"I think it would be impossible for you to bore me, Belle," Ackmor said seriously.

"Aw, that's sweet, Acky," Belle said with a smile, but Ackmor didn't realized he had complimented her, "But anyways, what is a navigator? To give you the simple definition—"

"A navigator is the member of the crew who is the most knowledgeable about the world as it is crucial for the determination of course and direction when traveling," Ackmor explained, "A good navigator has a skilled understanding of tools such as maps, compasses and sea charts that are able to not only travel through the sea but use the sea to their advantage in whatever direction they are headed."

"…That's…exactly correct, Acky," Belle said while clapping her hands, "Nice job."

"I'm sorry," Ackmor said, "I'm not sure what came over me. That information just suddenly came rushing through my head."

"But I thought you never recalled doing anything like navigation," Belle said, rubbing her chin in confusion, "Were you lying to me?!"

"I have no reason to lie to you, Belle," Ackmor said, "I really don't understand what just happened myself."

"Okay, then what else do you know about navigation?" Belle said.

"About that much so far," Ackmor said, "Nothing else, I think."

"Well do you know about cartography?" Belle asked.

"Cartography?" Ackmor asked.

"The science, skill, or work of making maps," Belle explained before she took out a large, incomplete map of the entire world, "This is my mom's map of the Grandline so far. She is very good at cartography and has always wanted to draw the entirety of the Grandline onto one, single map."

Ackmor noticed something off about the map he is now looking at. There were a few marking on the incomplete section that indicated parts of an island along with a few signs that the person sketching this map had difficulty drawing the islands.

"Why does it look like your mother stopped drawing all of a sudden?" Ackmor asked. He then saw Belle put on a saddened face.

"That's just what happened," Belle said, "My mother just stopped drawing maps."

"Why?" Ackmor asked, "It looked like she was almost done too."

"I wish I could answer that, Ackmor," Belle said, "Ever since I stumbled upon this map, I had always wondered why she stopped when she was so close to finishing."

"Did you try asking her?" Ackmor asked, "I can't think of a reason why she would keep her quitting a secret."

"I did ask her," Belle said, having an anxious look on her face, "But when I did…" She looked around to see if anyone was listening before she finished, "…she freaked out."

"Freaked out?" Ackmor asked, tilting her head.

"I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth," Belle said, "I asked her why she stopped drawing maps, but then she immediately asked me to stop. I didn't think anything was wrong at the time because I was little, but then when I kept asking her over and over again she started to act strange. It wasn't until I asked her about this island, Raftel, that she finally snapped and couldn't talk to me for a week." She said pointing at Raftel, which was actually drawn on the map at the end of the Grandline, "And after that, I never asked her about her maps again."

"Was your mother always like that?" Ackmor asked.

"For as long as I've known her, yes," Belle said, "But my father always told me about the kind of person she was before I was born," She said before she chuckled, "I never would have guessed that she was so rough around the edges and was constantly frustrated 90 percent of the time, plus she loves shiny coins for some odd reason."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Belle," Ackmor said, "The story about you and your mother, I mean."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Belle said with a smile, "I may have…hurt her in some way, but she forgave me when I apologized. She even gave me this to make me feel better," She said as she took out a wrist watch with a glass orb sitting on top, and a needle floating inside the middle of that orb suspended from the top by a thin piece of metal or wire.

"What is it?" Ackmor asked, taking a close look at the object, "Some kind of compass?"

"It's a special compass—a Log Pose," Belle said, "If we're going to go to the Grandline, we'll need this baby. It's the only known compass that works in the Grandline. Normal compasses don't work in the Grand Line due to the special magnetic waves created from each island."

"I see," Ackmor said, "So correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that this Log Pose does something with the magnetic wave of the first island to allow people to learn the direction of the next island, right?"

"You got it," Belle said, "I'll teach you more once we get to the Grandline. Right now, you need to learn basic navigation and understanding of weather patterns."

And so Belle began teaching Ackmor everything she knows about navigation.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Kaisetsu and the others had gone to Syrup village to buy medicine for Kaya's clinic and some supplies for the journey.

"Okay, so Ackmor-kun recommended me a list of stuff we need to get," Sakuya said.

"Alright, so what do we need?" Yoshino asked.

"Let's see," Sakuya said, pulling out a list, "Meat buns, Meat bagel bites, pizza meatballs, meatpops, meatballs, meatjuice...Meatjuice? They make meatjuice?"

"Sakuya, half of what's on that list doesn't even exist!" Kaisetsu pointed out before she took the list from Sakuya to see nothing but meat related products, "Belle…"

"Why do I have a feeling your "colorful" friend has something to do with that list?" Yoshino asked.

"It was Belle," Kaisetsu said, pinching the bridge of her nose while letting out an aggravated sigh.

"Well, at least she understands that meat is important for your body," Kaya remarked awkwardly.

"She's like that sometimes," Kaisetsu said, "Usually she eats other food besides meat, but there are times where she just needs meat."

"Whatever," Yoshino said, "Just be sure you don't forget to get some veggies for the vegetarian here."

"You're a vegetarian, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked, "I don't usually see people like that these days."

"Yeah well don't get used to it," Yoshino said, "I'm not as vocal about my beliefs as the others are anyway."

"In any case, it looks like Sakuya and I will have to redo the list," Kaisetsu said, "In the meantime, Yoshino, would you mind helping Auntie Kaya with her shopping?"

"I don't think I'm the best person for that job," Yoshino said, looking away from them.

"And what makes you say that?" Kaisetsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you perhaps shy around me, Yoshino?" Kaya asked curiously. When she saw Yoshino look at her, but then turn away, she let out an amused giggle, "I knew it."

"I-I'm not shy!" Yoshino shouted, "I just get a little antsy when I'm around older women."

"Nah, you're shy as fuck, Yoshino," Kaisetsu said, "The fact that you're using "antsy" to describe it proves it."

"Fine then!" Yoshino shouted angrily, "So what if I'm a little shy around older women?!"

"I think it fits you, my sweet prince," Sakuya said, "I've always had a liking towards shy princes."

"I am not a shy prince!" Yoshino shouted before he stormed off, "Come on, Miss Kaya. I'm done having this dumb conversation!"

"We'll meet back here at around 3," Kaya said as she began to follow Yoshino, "I'll see you two later."

"Don't let Yoshino get you lost!" Kaisetsu replied before she turned to the crying siren, "Come on. No point in crying over a guy."

"It's not fair!" Sakuya cried, "Why isn't Yoshino-kun shy around me?!"

"Oh boy…" Kaisetsu sighed, "Here we go again."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

"The nerve of that siren!" Yoshino shouted, fuming with anger as he stormed through the town with Kaya trying her hardest to keep up.

"Yoshino, please slow down a little," Kaya said.

Yoshino then slowed down a bit at the sound of Kaya's request and began to calm himself down, "Sorry about that. I'm supposed to be quiet and composed, but…"

"It's quite alright," Kaya said, "Being loud and talkative is nothing to be ashamed of; in fact, it's actually a sign that you care about the things around you to talk about them."

"Then no wonder I'm always silent when I'm around those people," Yoshino said with a sigh.

"If they bother you so much, why stay with them?" Kaya asked.

"Because I need their help obviously," Yoshino said, "I can't find the Mizu Blade on my own at this point."

"Hm…I don't believe that is the main reason you've stayed with Belle and her friends for this long," Kaya said.

"And why is that?" Yoshino asked.

"I think you're actually lonely," Kaya said, taking Yoshino's shocked expression as a "Yes", "At most I think you're homesick as well. You can't help the fact that you want friends, so at the first chance you get you stick with the first group that interests you like glue. Am I right?" She finished with a confident smile.

Yoshino remained quiet for a few seconds until he shook his head and answered, "Wow, you were so off the mark—not even close."

"Ah well, it was worth a try," Kaya said with a shrug before she walked past him, but not before she added, "But just so you know, humans are by nature social beings—nothing wrong with wanting friends."

"Thanks…" Yoshino said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "I'll _definitely_ keep that in mind."

"Hehe, you're a funny one, Yoshino," Kaya said, "Now let's hurry up and get those medicines. The people who need them are going to be happy once I give it to them."

"Sure, whatever," Yoshino said, walking beside her. He then thought to himself, " _Friends? Yeah right. Only an idiot would want to have me as their friend."_

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

After a few hours have passed, Kaisetsu and Sakuya were on the last item of their shopping list.

"And three bags of tomatoes," Kaisetsu said as she finished paying the shopkeeper for three bags of tomatoes and then placed them in a crate Sakuya was struggling to carry, "Need help with that, Sakuya?"

"Nope!" Sakuya shrieked, barely able to breathe properly, "Just building muscles for my…beloved princes!"

"You're a hopeless little siren, Sakuya," Kaisetsu said, forcefully taking the crate from Sakuya's hands. She was easily able to carry the heavy crate without any trouble, "Still haven't trained your upper body strength as much as your lower body strength, I see."

"I've only started on my upper body recently, so yeah I would have a hard time carrying heavy stuff," Sakuya said.

"Then maybe I can help you out with that once we get a good ship," Kaisetsu said, "Come on. Yoshino and Auntie Kaya are probably waiting on us."

"Oh wait!" Sakuya shouted, "I need to take a quick bathroom break."

"Really?" Kaisetsu asked before she sighed, "Hurry up. We haven't got all day."

"Thanks, Kaisetsu," Sakuya said before she ran off, "Be back in a jiff~!"

Kaisetsu found a nearby table and set the shopping crate on in and sat down in a chair, "It feels weird not having anyone to beat up on this island." She said to herself.

"Are you serious?" A random voice of a curious man near Kaisetsu said.

"Dead serious," Another voice of a worried man said. There were two men sitting behind Kaisetsu talking about something.

Curious about the topic, Kaisetsu decided to eavesdrop on the conversation while pretending to be uninterested.

"So has anyone called back yet?" The curious man asked his worried friend.

"No…" The worried man said rubbing his head, "My wife stayed up all night trying to call her friend on Navie Island, but that friend never picked up his transponder snail. She then tried to call Mayor Apollo, but his line was apparently busy. And then on one, last-ditch effort she called the marines stationed on that island."

"And?" The curious man asked.

"No one picked up," The worried man said.

"That's so peculiar," The curious man said, "It isn't like anyone on that island to suddenly not pick up on calls. Do you think its pirates?"

"No," The worried man said, "Pirates are not so quick as to be able to take over an island without at least one SOS call going out; especially if marines are stationed on the same island. It sounds oddly similar to what happened to Kaori Island too."

"Now that I think about it, I can't help but wonder what is happening with that island too," The curious man said, "One minute no one can accept calls on that island and then the next the marines say everything is fine there. Do you think the same will happen to Navie as well?"

"I hope not," The worried man said as the two began to leave, "That would mean none of us in the East Blue are safe."

" _Navie and Kaori?"_ Kaisetsu thought to herself, " _Guess we better steer clear of those islands."_

"I'm back, Kaisetsu," Sakuya called out to Kaisetsu.

"That was quick," Kaisetsu said before she grabbed the shopping crate and joined and Sakuya.

"Is something wrong?" Sakuya asked.

"Nah," Kaisetsu answered, "Just heard some pointless rumors, is all."

"Okay," Sakuya said as they began to head to the meeting spot, "In that case, now we can head back to the meeting spot."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Belle let out a loud snore in her sleep, "No…the muffins don't go…on the stove…Merry…" She muttered in her sleep.

Ackmor gave the orange-haired girl a quick glance before looking back at his book. He had spent the last few hours studying the books that explain the inner workings of navigation both in the Blue's and in the Grandline. Since he was an android, he was able to understand this at first glance unlike Belle.

Deciding that it is time to stop, Ackmor placed the book down and shook Belle, "Hey, Belle."

"7 more minutes, Mom…" Belle said in her sleep.

"Belle, it's important," Ackmor said.

"I wouldn't wake her up like that if I were you," A familiar voice said.

"Huh?" Ackmor stopped shaking Belle and turned around to see Piiman entering the room.

"Belle can get in a foul mood if her beauty sleep is interrupted," Piiman explained, "Better to just leave her be. Ackmor, was it?"

"Yes, I was hoping to take a little break with her since I'm doing fine learning about navigation on my own," Ackmor said.

"Navigation, huh," Piiman asked, "Are you confident in your skills?"

Not wanting to tell everyone about him being an android, Ackmor decided to sound human, "Well, I do have some merit of doubts. I understand the basics and everything but—"

"Then those doubts ought to be gone by the time you get to the Grandline," Piiman advised before he leaned against the table, "I don't know if you've already realized this, but that part of the world is hell on earth."

"I've heard rumors," Ackmor said, "Are they true?"

"If they refer to the random, inconsistent changes in the weather, giant sea monsters, and dangerous pirates, then yes," Piiman said, "They're all true. Now the question here is: Are you ready to guide your friends past all of those dangers?"

"What do you mean?" Ackmor asked.

"As a navigator, you have to bear the weight of every life in Belle's crew," Piiman said, "Even Belle herself. One major slip up can cost you a life or two, and you don't get any second chances. Are you still willing to take on such a task?"

"Well, Belle gave this task to me so—"

"No, I'm asking _you_ if _you_ are ready for this task, Ackmor," Piiman interrupted.

"…I believe I am," Ackmor said with confidence, "I know my abilities are limited, but I'm willing to take on this burden."

"That's the spirit," Piiman said before he took out a cigar, lit it, and breathed out some smoke.

"Is there a reason why you came here to tell me this?" Ackmor asked.

"Loyalty to crewmembers," Piiman replied.

"Huh?" Ackmor asked.

"That's what is mostly going to keep you guys alive out there, aside from logic and guts," Piiman said before standing up straight to look back at Ackmor, "Be sure to bring Belle back to us, you hear? She's a good kid who's managed to keep her sanity…despite what happened to her sister."

"I see…" Ackmor said, looking back at Belle with a pitiful expression.

"What's with the long face?" Piiman said, "Belle won't like it if she sees you looking like that."

"Oh, sorry," Ackmor said before he thought to himself, " _I guess I can relate to losing something important, so I can't help but feel awful for Belle."_

"Anyways, sorry for interrupting your little tutoring date," Piiman said before he began to walk away while waving farewell, "You can continue on if you're feeling up to it."

"Date?" Ackmor asked, curious as to why Piiman used that word to describe their tutoring session.

"Ah…" Belle opened her eyes and let out a huge yawn, "Man…reading can sure take a lot out of you, right Ackmor."

"I admit that I am growing a little tired myself," Ackmor said.

"Then let's go get something to snack on before dinner," Belle said, "I heard Auntie Kaya's hiding a crepe somewhere in the kitchen fridge. Why don't we go sneak in a bite or two?"

"Won't that mess up our appetite for dinner?" Ackmor asked.

"Nah, it'll actually make us even hungrier, and will make the food taste even better," Belle said, "It's a special, secret, fun fact that my dad told me about."

"I've never heard of a fact like that," Ackmor said before thinking it over and smiling, "It might be interesting to check out and see if it's true."

"Ooh, I like your enthusiasm, Acky~," Belle said as she took charge and led the expedition to the kitchen, "Now onward! To the Crepe!"

In the span of a few hours, Belle and Ackmor raided the kitchen refrigerator to try out the crepe Kaya was hiding, but they ended up getting caught in the act by Ina, who then later tells Kaya about it once she and the others returned.

"We're sorry…" Belle and Ackmor said simultaneously.

"I sure hope you two are," Kaya said, "It isn't good manners to steal someone else's food when they aren't looking."

"And we're going to have dinner later anyways, so why bother with the damn crepe?" Kaisetsu asked.

"I just wanted to see if dinner tastes better after you eat a snack like Belle said," Ackmor said, much to Belle's dismay.

"Oh really?" Kaisetsu asked, glaring at Belle, "Belle told you that?"

"And you fell for such an obvious trick?" Yoshino asked, "You _are_ an android, right?"

"Ackmor-kun might be an interesting android if he can be fooled like that," Sakuya said, "I think it's cute."

"You think everything about boys is cute," Yoshino said, rolling his eyes.

"I'll forgive you two for now," Kaya said to Belle and Ackmor, "Once we're done with tonight's dinner, you're going to go to your rooms to get ready for tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Belle asked.

"The day you guys are going to leave," Kaya said.

"Already?" Ackmor asked, "We've only been here for two days now."

"I get what you're saying, Kaya," Kaisetsu said, "It isn't good for a pirate crew to stay on one island for too long. 2 days was more than enough for us."

"More like not enough," Belle whined, "I want to stay here a little longer."

"Well then I guess you don't want the surprise your father left you," Kaya said.

Belle jumped up a bit, "S-Sorry! I mean, I would love to leave tomorrow! The sooner we hit those ocean waves, the better!"

"I'm honestly glad we're leaving soon," Yoshino said, "We haven't done anything on this island for the past two days so why even bother when nothing's happening?"

"I don't know about that, Yoshino," Kaisetsu said, "Us introducing ourselves to each other seemed important."

"And Acky is learning to be a proper navigator," Belle said.

"So I don't think any of the time we spent here has been a total waste," Kaisetsu said.

"Besides, not every island is going to have a big baddy ruling over it like a dictator," Sakuya said, "Don't be surprised when we go to islands where all we do is sit around and talk to each other."

"That's oddly specific," Yoshino said, "You talk like you know stuff like that has happened before."

"Hehe, just my siren intuition~!" Sakuya said with a wink.

That was when Ina entered the room, "Mrs. Kaya, dinner is ready for you and your guests."

"Thank you, Ina," Kaya said.

"Thank goodness," Belle said as everyone entered the dining room, "All of that studying with Acky really put me on an empty stomach."

"I thought you slept through the whole—"

"Shh!" Belle stopped Ackmor mid-sentence, "No one needs to know that information, Acky. So why don't we all eat already?!"

And for the rest of the night, they all ate dinner with Kaya and then went to their guest rooms to prepare to leave tomorrow.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile on the shore of the Gecko Island, Piiman, Tamanegi, and Ninjin had just finished covering up a huge object sitting on the shoreline.

"Are you sure it's going to be ready, Tamanegi?" Piiman asked.

"Believe me when I say, Piiman, that the gift is in perfect position," Tamanegi said, "Though, I will not deny that I had doubts that we could even make this."

"Well I didn't," Ninjin said, "Oh man, the others are in for one hell of a surprise tomorrow!"

"Still…hard to believe they're going to sail around in a ship like this," Piiman said, "Well, might as well call it a night."

"Yeah, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving," Ninjin said as the three began walking back to Syrup Village.

"You are always hungry, Ninjin," Tamanegi said, "You are what you eat, after all."

"Four Eyes, you are lucky I am too tired to throw an attitude at you!" Ninjin shouted while Piiman let out an annoyed sigh at the two's usual, bickering behavior.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

The next morning, the group sat at the dinner table with their bags, which were full of the supplies they bought yesterday. Just like yesterday morning, Belle was not happy about waking up early with bed hair, much to Yoshino's amusement.

"Good morning everyone," Ina said as she came into the lounge carrying their breakfast, "I hope you had a good sleep."

"Good morning, Ina," Belle said, "Apart from my hair and Kai, I slept like a rock." When she finished, she saw the breakfast heading her way and began drooling.

Kaisetsu rolled her eyes before saying to Ina, "So, Ina, about that surprised you mentioned last night. What is it?"

"Please have patience," Ina said she placed their breakfast onto the table, "The surprise is ready and waiting for you. All you need to do is finish your breakfast. It's the least you could do as guests."

"Of course," Ackmor said, "Thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness."

"It was nice to be in a mansion that didn't have marines threatening to shoot us," Sakuya said.

"Or threatening to court martial us too," Yoshino said.

"Yeah, we don't need to worry about that nonsense here," Belle said, "But I do wish Auntie Kaya would just tell us what the surprise is already!"

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise Belle," Kaya said stepping inside the room wearing a self satisfied grin. "After all, a certain someone's birthday comes around only once a year. I can't afford to mess up the surprise."

"Birthday?" Belle asked before she realized what Kaya was referring two. She let out a surprised gasp, "Oh my birthday! I can't believe forgot about that!"

"What's a birthday?" Ackmor asked.

"Who forgets their own birthday?" Yoshino asked, baffled by Belle's obliviousness.

"It's when someone turns a year older," Kaya said, "Take Belle for instance. Yesterday, she was 19 years old, but today a full year passed for her and she is now 20 years old. One more year and you're legal to drink in a bar."

"Ew!" Belle shouted in disgust, "I don't like booze! Can't Kai drink them instead?"

"I'm 20 too, Belle," Kaisetsu explained, "My birthday is not until 6 months, unfortunately."

"I see," Ackmor said, turning to Sakuya and Yoshino, "What about you two?"

"Mine's not till 3 months," Yoshino said.

"And mine's was last month," Sakuya said.

"I see...that leaves just me," Ackmor said, "But without my memories…"

"Oh don't worry, Acky," Belle said with reassurance, "If you want, your birthday can be on the day I found you: April 23."

"Well Belle did give Ackmor a new name that day so it's technically like the day you were born," Kaya explained, "But it is up to you whether or not you want that day to symbolize your birth date at least until your memories return."

"April 23…" Ackmor said as he smiled, "Yeah, I'll take it."

"Perfect!" Kaya cheered, "Now let's hurry up and finish breakfast so I can show you all Belle's birthday gift."

"Don't mind if I do~!" Belle shouted joyously as she began to eat all of her food including everyone else's.

"Oh and before I forget when I give you my gift I got a couple more to show you after—"

"B-Belle!" Kaisetsu shouted, interrupting Kaya, "Stop eating everyone else's food!"

"Not a chance!" Belle said, "The faster we finish this food the sooner we get to the surprises!"

"Well we've got to eat too you dolt!" Yoshino shouted.

"No one's listening to me…" Kaya said, a depressing aura circulating her entire body.

After everyone had finish breakfast, Belle let out a sigh of relief, "Ahhh...that was an amazing breakfast," She said with glee.

Everyone else; however, did not feel the same glee as the girl.

"Feel that feeling of hunger, boys?" Kaisetsu asked Ackmor and Yoshino, "You better get used to it…"

"She took half of my breakfast…" Ackmor said with crocodile tears.

"I was surprised I was able to eat anything at all," Yoshino said, slightly ready to beat Belle within an inch of her life.

"Don't worry I have bento boxes fixed for us," Sakuya said, handing Ackmor and Yoshino a bento box, "They were survivor rations in case Belle went crazy."

"Really?!" Ackmor asked, "You thought of everything, Sakuya."

"Oh you are most welcome, my sweet prince~!" Sakuya cheered before she trilled away while squealing happily inside her mind, " _My prince Ackmor-kun admires me! I wonder if Yoshiko-kun feels the same way!"_

"Ackmor, please don't compliment her," Yoshino whispered to Ackmor once he saw that Sakuya was far away enough to not hear, "She'll get twice as annoying if you do that."

"But, she made these for us," Ackmor said, with a confused look at her face.

"To which I am thankful," Yoshino said, "But you gotta look out for girls like these. Nine times out of ten they're only nice to you for their own benefit. It's just advice from one guy to another."

"Does that apply to men as well?" Ackmor asked.

"Of course it does," Yoshino replied.

"Okay, now that everyone is done eating, it's time for the surprise," Kaya said before she stood up from her seat, "Now come follow me."

"Where are we going?" Ackmor asked.

"Somewhere," Kaya said as turns to leave the mansion, "Hurry up now."

As the group followed Kaya, they realized that they were heading towards the beach shore.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Kaya, but why are we going to the beach shore?" Ackmor asked.

"Teehee, we're almost there~!" Kaya chimed.

"Agh!" Belle suddenly screamed impatiently, "I hate all this stupid suspense! Just show us the surprise already!"

That was when Kaya stopped and pointed down at a mysterious object resting by the shore covered by a blanket. Next to the object were Piiman, Tamanegi, and Ninjin looking ready to pull the blanket off, "There it is."

Kaisetsu and Sakuya could both tell what it was just from the silhouette.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sakuya asked.

"Okay, boys, you can pull the blanket off!" Kaya yelled at the three men.

"On three, boys," Piiman said, "THREE!"

On that signal, the three men pulled the blanket away from the mysterious object.

When everyone else had caught eyes on a creation sitting out in the shores of the Gecko Islands, they were stunned into silence.

It was a large, white wooden ship with a single mast, three cannon holes on both sides, a single cannon hole on the back and front. On the sides blue painted rails can be seen, with nets stretching out towards a large crow's nest that looked like a secluded room. On the top deck, small patches of grass and a few small trees were fixed there. The main attraction that caught the crew's eyes was the head at the front of the ship: a carving of a white and blue dragon with its wings covering the rails around it. The eyes held a blank marble like stones that gleamed with an unusual aura.

"…Is this our ship?" Ackmor asked.

"Hell yeah, it is!" Ninjin said.

"Ah...ah…ah..." Belle gasped out unable to speak as she pointed to the ship looking at Kaya.

Kaya smiled gave Belle a happy smile, "Happy birthday Belle! Hope you enjoy you're brand new pirate ship! That's what your parents wanted me to tell you."

Belle could do nothing but scream with delight as she hugged Kaya, "OH AUNTIE KAYA! THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER!"

"I'm very glad you like it Belle," Kaya said, "But keep in mind that I'm not the only one to thank for this."

"Yeah, how the heck did you guys build this thing?" Yoshino asked.

"It's really quite simple," Ninjin said, "You see—"

But Tamanegi interrupted Ninjin, "Mr. Cyborg Franky is the one who gave us the design and schematics for this ship. Our Sensei Usopp and Mrs. Kaya funded the project while we, the Disciples of God Usopp, put in blood, sweat, and tears into building it."

"What the hell, Tamanegi?!" Ninjin shouted, "I stayed up all night memorizing that explanation so I could say it in a cool fashion!"

"You would have stuttered like a bumbling idiot," Tamanegi said.

"Say that to my face, Four Eyes!" Ninjin said in a challenging manner.

"Only if you promise not to spray spit on my glasses while you talk," Tamanegi said, ready for a brawl.

"Shut the hell up, both of you!" Piiman shouted, "You're ruining the princess's birthday!"

"Ahah…thank you, Piiman," Kaya said, sweat dropping before she turned to Belle, "When you run into Franky and my husband, make sure you give them their proper thanks."

"Oh, I will!" Belle said, "Thank you so much for this. I love it so much!"

"But before you go onto the ship, there are some important things you must kn—"

"Um Tamanegi, Belle's already on the ship," Ackmor said pointing at the fan-girling Belle.

"Oh the grass feels fantastic!" Belle squealed.

"Such impatience!" Tamanegi said, "At least listen to my important lecture, Belle!"

"HAHA!" Ninjin found the whole thing amusing, "Karma's such a lovable bitch, ain't she?!"

"Perhaps we will have that brawl you were craving for, Ninjin," Tamanegi said.

"Don't worry, Tamanegi, I'll tell Belle everything you need to say about the ship," Ackmor said.

"You're a good lad, Sir Ackmor," Tamanegi said.

"Heh, I knew Belle chose you to be her navigator for a reason, son," Piiman said with an amused smile.

"So what is the wood on this ship made of exactly?" Ackmor said as he touched the wood on the ship.

"The strongest and highest quality known in the world: Adam Wood," Piiman said.

"Adam Wood?" Sakuya asked.

"That's right," Piiman said, "Wood directly from the black market—courtesy of Cyborg Franky. With Adam Wood holding your ship together, it'll take years before rocks, boulders, and even ice glaciers can even chip the wood on this baby."

"But do not overestimate the durability of this vessel," Tamanegi said, "Your journey is a long and dangerous one. The Grandline is essentially a sea-sized graveyard for both ships and humans alike."

"Okay, we'll be extra careful with this ship then," Ackmor said.

"Hey! This is an awesome seat you guys made!" Belle shouted from the head of the dragon ship.

"Belle, quick clowning around up there and come listen to what is being said here!" Kaisetsu shouted.

"But I love it on this seat!" Belle said as she hugged the head of the new ship, "A new friend who's going to be with us on our adventure!"

Suddenly, the blank marbles of the dragon's eyes began to glow. As the glow faded the blank marbles were now a bright and warm looking orange.

"Whoa…" Belle said amazed by this.

"What's going on with the eyes?" Sakuya asked.

"That is part of the design of the ship that Usopp and Franky both made up together," Kaya said, "Thank goodness it worked, otherwise you're ship would be rather dull."

"Wait, what do you mean by "dull"?" Yoshino asked.

"Hey, Belle, declare to the ship that you are its captain and give it a name," Kaya said to Belle.

"Right now?" Belle asked.

"Yes, now," Kaya said.

"Um okay…" Belle said before she turned to look into the eyes of the ship, "Hello there, ship! My name is Monkey D. Belle, you're new captain! Now a name….hmm...Oh! How about the Overseer Drago!"

After Belle said the name, the eyes on the dragon permanently turned orange.

"Overseer Drago?" Ackmor asked.

"Yep," Belle replied, "The Ever-Watching Dragon. He'll watch over us always, right Drago?" Belle asked hugging the ship again.

"Now Belle, I want you to ask anyone who you named an official member of your crew, what their favorite color is and what position they have," Kaya said.

"Um...what are we even doing, Auntie Kaya?" Belle asked.

"Just go along with it," Kaya said, "I'll explain in a minute."

"Okay...um...Kai!" Belle pointed at Kaisetsu, "What's your favorite color and what position are you? I already know what they are, but just answer anyway."

"Purple; Vice-Captain," Kaisetsu answered.

After Kaisetsu answered, the eyes on the dragon changed from orange to purple.

"Whoa…" Everyone was in complete awe by this.

"This is the new design," Kaya said, "The ship, which Belle has now named the Overseer Drago, can now identify Belle and her crewmates so long as Belle sees fit. As long as you say your colors and are official members of Belle's crew or an authorized visitor, the Drago will not harm you. However, if you are an enemy or an unauthorized person boarding the ship, there are automatic-defense weapons waiting to deal with you."

"…Wait, the ship can defend itself?!" Sakuya asked in shock.

"That's right," Kaya said, "Honestly, when my husband first showed this to me, I thought it was impossible. But he and Franky…those two can surprise you when they put their heads together."

"Wow, a lot of thought was really put into this one ship…" Belle said, "…just for us…"

"Well, of course," Kaya said proudly, "I believe the daughter of the man who changed my husband's life for the better deserves nothing but the best for her journey after all." Kaya said proudly. "Now, Belle, whenever you get a new crew member, please remember to ask them to tell them their color and position; otherwise, the ship will not respond to their answer."

"Okay," Belle said, "So that means no one can just randomly say their color or position to enter."

"That sure is a lot of security for a ship," Yoshino said in bewilderment.

"I think it makes total sense," Kaisetsu said, "I've been on the ship my father used to sleep in. Compare that ship to this one and you can see obvious the advancement in technology."

"Correction," Tamanegi said, "The idea of self-defense and heavily secured ships was discussed a few years ago; however no one has been successful in actually building a ship like that…until today."

"So we're the only ones with a ship this advanced?!" Ackmor asked.

"Like Mrs. Kaya said: "Nothing but the best"," Piiman said proudly, "Now hurry up and get registered. I wanted to go buy another cigar after this, but now this is starting to drag."

"Alrighty, this is gonna be fun~," Belle said before she turned to Ackmor, "It's your turn, Ackmor."

"My favorite color…" Ackmor said as he stopped to think, "Black and navigation is my role in."

"Sakuya?" Belle signaled to Sakuya.

"Pink; Cook," Sakuya said.

"And Yoshino," Belle said.

"I already told you that I would think about it after I return the Mizu Blade home," Yoshino said, "For now, I'll just be a guest."

"Gotcha," Belle said before turning to Kaya, "Is that how guests are allowed on board?"

"Yes, just like that," Kaya said.

"And last but not least, have you thought of a name for your pirate crew, Belle?" Ninjin asked.

"Oh yeah, that's what I've been anticipating the most aside from their reaction to the ship," Piiman said.

"...Uh nope," Belle said, "I've been trying to come up with a name for a long time."

"I have a suggestion for that," Kaisetsu said hopping onto Drago's deck, "Well, I know you don't want to take the name our fathers had and become the second generation of Straw-hat pirates, so let's make it something special that only this crew will understand," She then faced Belle and looked at her in the eye, "Why not name ourselves the Oathkeeper Pirates?"

Belle's eyes widen in surprise at the sound of the name.

"Oathkeepers?" Yoshino asked, "Are you serious?"

"...That. Is. PERFECT!" Belle shouted excitedly, "I've been trying to come up with a name related to oaths, but nothing really sticks!"

"Wait, she likes it?!" Yoshino asked in complete shock.

"What's the problem with the name, Yoshino?" Ackmor asked.

"It should be obvious to everyone, but we're supposed to be pirates," Yoshino said, "How is a name like "Oathkeeper" going to strike fear into our enemies?"

"It isn't supposed to," Belle replied, "Because I don't want us to feed off the fears of others people. I want this crew to help others, like my parents' crew did way back in the day."

"Then what's the point in calling yourselves pirates if you want to help people?" Yoshino asked.

"Yoshino-kun, way back when me, Kaisetsu, and Belle were kids we made an oath to each other," Sakuya began to explained as she walked onto the ship, "The three of us agreed that if we were to walk down the road of piracy, we would keep an oath to each other—an oath that we would stick together down that road no matter what."

"A pirate crew is more than simply striking fear in the hearts of our enemies," Kaisetsu said, "It's about the journey, what our experiences mean to us, and the goals we strive to achieve. To top it all off, it's lastly about the things that bring a crew together."

"…Jeez," Yoshino said, rubbing his head, "You didn't need to go and do that speech about the inner meanings of the name. I was just wondering if you genuinely think Oathkeeper is a kick-ass name."

"Oh…" Belle said, as the three girls blinked awkwardly while looking at each other.

"Well…it is pretty kick-ass in my opinion," Kaisetsu said.

"A really ass-kicking name," Sakuya said.

"Well, I kinda like the name," Ackmor said as he walked onto the ship, "It really rolls off the tongue quite nicely."

"I'm pretty much sold with it," Belle said, sticking her tongue out, "And I can't think of a better name, so there~!"

"Alright then," Yoshino said as he became the last person to set foot onto the ship, "Then let's be on our way."

"Hey Belle, you think we should all recite oaths?" Kaisetsu whispered to Belle.

"No, not yet," Belle whispered back, "I don't want Acky and Yoshino to feel weird until they know us a little better, and I want to see if Yoshino will join us once we help him out before we do it."

"Oh, Belle, one more thing," Kaya said to Belle, "In the kitchen you have presents from your parents, aunts and uncles."

"We know you guys are dying to set sail so we won't keep you any longer," Ninjin said.

"Be sure to remember the information I relayed to you all," Tamanegi said.

"Look out for each other, and keep your spirits up," Piiman said, "The sea may be tough, but you have to be tougher."

"Make your dreams come true, Belle and if you see Nelson out on the sea tell him how much I miss him and hope to see him soon!" Kaya yelled up to her.

Belle smiled and said, "I'll be sure to say hi to him when I see him. Thanks again for everything, you guys.

"Please stay safe on your journey," Kaya said.

And with that, the Oathkeepers began their journey on their new ship: the Overseer Drago. As Kaya watched the ship sail away, she couldn't help but see an image of the Going Merry and shed a tear.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Kaya?" Tamanegi asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Kaya said with a smile as tears fell down her eyes, "I just hope they all make it back safe."

Ninjin let out a yawn, "I'm sure they'll be fine—those three girls especially. They're the children of great pirates, after all."

"Knowing them, they'll be in breaking news before we know it," Piiman said as he began to walk off to the village, "Now I need a cigar to smoke in their honor."

"Hey, count me in too, Piiman," Ninjin said.

"I'll only allow one smoke," Tamanegi said, "I probably won't like it, though."

Kaya smiled as she looked out at the horizon where the Overseer Drago is barely visible, "Good luck, Belle."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

The Oathkeepers finally have their own ship and had begun exploring their new home.

"Wow, this ship is even bigger inside than it looks outside," Kaisetsu said.

"Look at this kitchen," Sakuya said as the crew took a good look at the kitchen. The kitchen itself had plenty of cooking tools, utensils, a large sink, and a working dishwasher.

"Amazing…" Belle said.

"And it doesn't stop there," Ackmor said reading the layout that was given to him by Kaya, "This ship is loaded with stuff we could use. There's a meeting room, a training room, a storage room, a workshop, a medical room, a library, a break room, and a total of 15 personal rooms."

"What the fuck?!" Yoshino asked in complete shock, "First the ship is voice activated and also has a self-defense system, and now all of that?! Is this a pirate ship or a luxury cruise?!"

"I forgot to ask, but how much did it cost them to make this ship?" Sakuya asked.

"Around 5 billion beri," Ackmor replied.

"…5…?!" Belle asked, shocked by the number

"…billion..?!" Kaisetsu asked, also taken aback by the answer.

"That's right," Ackmor said, "Guess that means we need to take good care of this ship."

"No pressure or anything," Yoshino said sarcastically.

"In any case, the gifts should be in the break room, Belle," Ackmor said.

"Yes, I can't wait to open them!" Belle said excitedly as she rushed over to the break room, which was a large room with a sofa able to hold three people in front of a TV screen. There was also a pool table and a card table for people who would want to play games.

"Wow…no wonder it cost 5 billion," Kaisetsu said.

"Look at all these gifts," Belle said, hovering over nine present bags and looking at all the tags.

"11 presents too?" Yoshino asked, "These people must really love you, Belle."

The first thing that caught Belle's eye were pouches full of beri's with a tag attached to it, "From Uncle Franky…and Uncle Usopp," She read the note.

" _Happy SUUUUUUUUPPPPPEEERRRRR~ Birthday Belle I hope to see you and the ship soon. Take good care of it or I'll chunk you in the ocean! Love Uncle Franky'. P.S. Franky's not gonna do that, Belle, don't worry. Make sure you treat your ship with love and care, and she'll brave every challenge that comes your way. Love, The Mighty Uncle Usopp!"_

"5 thousand beris, huh," Belle said, "I guess I have something else to thank that funny cyborg for.

"With that being said I'll hold onto that and put it in the vault down stairs for emergency savings," Kaisetsu said holding her hand out, "Just so we don't have a repeat of meat galore on the next island we come across"

"But Kai~," Belle whined wanting to hold onto the pretty and shiny berries.

"This is for your own good, Belle," Kaisetsu said, "I'm going to teach you how to properly save on money. That is unless you don't want to eat Sakuya's cooking which should be better than the meat you buy on the market."

"You think she would know how to do that considering Nami is her mother," Sakuya said scratching at her head.

Belle grumbled as she handed over the beris to Kaisetsu, "Fine…"

Kaisetsu smile as she patted the grumbling girl's head. "You did the right thing, captain."

"What else did you get?" Yoshino asked.

"Let's see…" Belle said looking into a white bag and pulled out medical supplies and a well stocked first-aid kit, "Oh, this is from Chopper."

"Figures," Kaisetsu said as she picked up the birthday card inside the bag, "Chopper would think about our health more than we did."

" _Happy birthday Belle! I know you are just starting on your journey, so I made sure you didn't sail out unprepared. Tamiko did a good job fixing fix you up some remedies and instructions in the note in the bag for when someone gets sick, so be sure to thank her when you see her (I also recommend you recruit her but don't tell her I told you, k?). Journey safely, have plenty of funny and meet many new people. Come visit me at Drum Kingdom when you can. Love Chopper."_

"Aww, Chopper's such a sweet little reindeer!" Belle said, "The first thing I'm going to do is give him a big old hug!"

"So are you going to try and recruit this Tamiko person for the crew, Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"Well of course," Belle said, "I heard about her from Chopper. He says she has a colorful personality."

"Colorful meaning…?" Yoshino asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I sure would like to meet her," Belle said.

"That's good enough for now. What's in this box?" Ackmor said pushing a blue, pink and green wrapped box towards Belle.

"Ooh, this one's from Uncle Zoro and Auntie Robin," Belle said as she took out art materials.

"The card is very tiny. It reads: _Journey safe and get really strong Love the Roronoa family_." Yoshino read off.

"Dad must have written the letter he's not too big on mushy words" Kaisetsu said, "...Or proper capitalization for that matter..."

"And your mother was okay with that?" Sakuya asked.

"My mom's okay with anything my dad does and vice-versa," Kaisetsu said, "Plus I think the art materials make up for the poor writing."

"Well this is a great gift," Belle said, "I haven't really gotten into art, but I just might with this set."

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling her art will be terrible?" Ackmor asked.

"You haven't seen Luffy's drawings if you did your instincts be pretty spot on my android Prince" Sakuya said, passing out cups of tea for everyone.

"Alright, a bag with music notes decoration," Belle said, "Hmmm, I wonder who this could be from!" She said sarcastically as she took out a sound dial.

" _Yohohoho! Happy birthday my sweet Belle-san. I know you must be Nami-san carbon copy by now and I can't wait to see you with my own eyes when you enter the Grandline. Oh, I forgot. I don't have any eyes...Skull Joke Yohohoho! I recorded this song to best start off your journey hope enjoy! Love with all my bones Brook"_

"What's with the skulls and bones stuff?" Ackmor asked.

"Oh, Brook is a funny talking skeleton," Belle said, taking a sip from her tea.

Yoshino and Ackmor both choked on their tea after hearing that, "Sk-skeleton?!"

"That's right," Kaisetsu said, "Long story short, Brook died years ago in his prime as a pirate, but he ate the Yomi Yomi no Mi that allows him to live on past death."

"You guys will love him," Belle reassured, "He a really hilarious guy when you get to know him and he's a great musician!"

"You think so?" Yoshino asked.

"I know so," Belle said, "Here, listen to this amazing song we still listen to."

When Belle activated the sound dial and began the renown song known as Binks' Sake. Once Yoshino and Ackmor had fully listened to the song, they were nothing short of impressed.

"Wow...for a skeleton he sings...really well," Ackmor said.

" _Wait he's a skeleton but can sing and talk without vocal chords?"_ Yoshino thought to himself.

"He sure is," Belle replied to Ackmor, "This is why I am definitely getting a musician. We have Sakuya's beautiful voice, now we need someone who is able to play instruments."

"Oh thank you, Belle," Sakuya said.

"And now...onto the next one which is Uncle Sanji's!" Belle said as she took out a book which contained dozens of recipes, "Here Sakuya I'm entrusting you with the recipe book of knowledge."

"Uh...it's not that serious," Sakuya said, taking the recipe book, "So...what does Father Sanji say in his letter to you?"

"Well let's see…" Belle said as she read the note.

" _Yo, birthday girl, how are you? Eating a lot like your father, I bet and judging from Sakuya's eagerness last time I saw her, she most likely became your cook. Well you better eat every single thing she works hard to cook down to the last crumb, you hear? And also, take good care of her, okay? Being abandoned by your family...the ones you trust to love you...it's hell. Trust me on that. Just take really good care of my little girl and the same for you and Kaisetsu too. I don't need to see no bruises on three lovely faces and if someone hurts one of you three just call me and i'll come kick the manners into the them. Love Sanji."_

Sakuya smiled sadly into the sink where she was washing dishes, "Why does Father always worry about me more than he should?"

"Well you are his daughter," Kaisetsu said, "Why wouldn't he worry about you?"

"You're right about that…" Sakuya said.

"Ooh, what a lovely dress," Belle said, taking out a dress, "From my Mom."

"Don't you hate dresses, Belle?" Ackmor asked.

"Hell yes," Belle said, holding in her urge to mess this dress up, "But with this dress, I'm going to make an exception…"

" _Belle, sweetie, I know that I've always gotten on your case about this...but...don't do anything reckless, you hear? I don't want to hear any excuse from you when you get beaten up because you thought you were the toughest pirate around or some crap. I want you to be as safe as possible and don't spend all your money on food! If you do I'll head straight towards you and teach you how to save money my way. All of that aside, I love you very much, sweetie. And say good luck to your navigator, they're gonna need it. Love Mama._

"Well, Acky, Mama wishes you good luck, but I'm not sure what for," Belle said.

"Me neither," Ackmor said, "But I think I'll be okay."

"Okay, Belle, last gift," Kaisetsu said, "Looks like it's from your dad."

Belle opened her dad's gift to see find a cooler full of meat! Belle's eyes twinkled while everyone fell over.

"Dad's the best dad ever!" Belle cheered looking over all the delicious meat inside the cooler.

"Compared to all the other gifts, Luffy sure didn't put a lot of effort into that one," Sakuya said.

"Nonsense!" Belle shouted, defending her father's gift, "He knew exactly what I would love and that is what Daddies do for their girls!"

"Sure…whatever you say," Yoshino said, having doubts about her statement.

"And besides he has a reason why his gift was so underwhelming." She said as she slowly began to take something else out.

When Kaisetsu and Sakuya got a look of what that item was, their eyes widened as they jumped a few steps back.

"Is that?!" Kaisetsu asked.

"No way!" Sakuya shouted.

" _Shishi, so how's my special, birthday princess doing? Kai hasn't gotten you lost, has she? Sakuya hasn't grown tired of you, has she? And are you meeting new nakama? Ah I have so many questions for you already! Sorry if my gift wasn't as awesome as Kaya's or your mother's or everyone else's. I just couldn't think about anything else. Seriously, how would you give your treasure a perfect birthday gift, and that's when it struck me: my first treasure as a gift to my second treasure. Genius, right, Belle? Whatever your answer is, all I have to say is, have fun and be safe, Belle. Take care of that hat, okay? It's important to me too, and I wish you and Merry a happy birthday~! Love your awesome Dad!"_

Belle took out her dad's infamous straw hat and placed it on her head and let out a confident smile, "So…how do I look?"

Kaisetsu and Sakuya were gaping at her in stunned silence while Ackmor and Yoshino looked at her with confused faces.

"He gave you a straw hat?" Yoshino asked, "I guess for the summer time…?"

"It looks a little outdated too," Ackmor said, "Are straw hats even made anymore?"

Belle took the straw hat off and placed it on the center of the table, smiling sadly at it as she gently ran her fingers over the hat, "It's more than just a hat, sillies. It's my dad's treasure."

"The worn-out hat is a treasure?" Yoshino asked, wondering when this will start making sense.

"Hahaha, yep," Belle said, "If you're interested to learn more you can talk to me anytime, Yoshi."

"Yeah, because obviously I'm interested in an old hat," Yoshino muttered sarcastically.

" _I'm interested…"_ Ackmor thought to himself, oddly staring at what is now Belle's straw hat.

"Man, I can't believe your father gave you that, Belle," Kaisetsu said.

"I had a distinct feeling he would give me something like this," Belle said, "I guess he trusts me enough to look after this hat."

"Guess that shows how much he really loves you," Sakuya said.

"In any case, we too wish you a happy birthday, Belle!" Kaisetsu said.

"Yeah, I'm not much a birthday person, but happy birthday," Yoshino said.

"And well...you look pretty in that dress," Ackmor said.

"Oh well thank you, Acky," Belle said "And thanks everyone."

"Hold on! There's one important thing missing here!" Sakuya shouted.

"And what's that?" Ackmor asked.

"A birthday cake, obviously!" Sakuya said, "Belle, as your cook I shall perform my first duty of baking you a delicious cake."

"Thank you very much, Sakuya. You don't have to," Belle said.

"Nonsense, a cook must always make their customers happy," Sakuya said, "Now I must ask you all to help Belle take these presents to her room while I prepare the cake."

As Sakuya ordered, everyone helped Belle carry her presents to her room. Once she was comfortable, they left her to her privacy.

After placing the hat down onto a drawer near the bed, Belle lied down on her bed and closed her eyes, "Happy birthday, Merry."

At first, Belle was happy, but also sad that it was her late sister's birthday. Then she remembered the words Ackmor said.

 _"Innocent people were killed by this Black Thorn Assassin. For them, I need to catch the criminal behind their deaths."_

"This is it," Belle said, "Eight years of training for this. I know that I'm lying to everyone…but no one would let me do this if I told the truth. I swore an oath to you, and I will uphold it—I will find the person responsible for your death, Merry. That is my oath to you."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile on Navie Island, a catastrophe has occurred. A mysterious group of armed men have attacked Mayor Apollo's office, placed the entire island on lockdown, and cut all communication.

In Mayor Apollo's office, the petite, old man was being held at gunpoint by a group of men who wore solid black dress pants, black boots, and a white shirt underneath a black sleeveless vest. On the back is a strange symbol that looks like a large wave crashing against a shore.

"What is the meaning of this?" Apollo asked, "Attacking an island as peaceful as Navie is the work of terrorists!"

However, his question was only answered to by the sound of playful whistling as one of the men looked around the room as if he was searching for something.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Apollo asked, annoyed by the disrespect from this stranger.

"Quiet, ya' old coot!" Shouted one of the men holding Apollo at gunpoint.

"Keep screaming like that and you might end up stroking out, old man," The playful, whistling man said, turning to Apollo and began walking towards him. "And it's best not to compare us to terrorists or pirates or even marines for that manner. Wait, scratch that… _especially_ marines."

The man had a narrow face with brown eyes. His hair was long and black, but tied in a ponytail that matched his goatee on his chin. The muscles on his arms were well-developed under his blue, dress shirt, which has its sleeves rolled up and the chest unbuttoned, complemented with his black pants and shoes. In the area where his chest was exposed, a tattoo of large snake circling itself and catching its tail in its mouth is slightly visible. On his right side rested a light blue katana.

"I don't live by labels made by the public anymore," The playful man said, "I go by my name and that name alone: Zander Wright."

"What is it that you want?" Apollo asked, "Money? Treasure? Our food and drinks?"

"Nah," Zander said, "All of those sound too cliché for someone like me to want. I'm actually looking for a residence of this island." He said as he watched the old mayor sweat in fear, "Oh, am I getting warmer judging from your reaction? I heard from a comrade I sent to scout this place out that there was a siren living her not too long ago. Sakuya Reevus, was it?"

"I don't know anyone by that name," Apollo lied, "Nor are there any such things as sirens!"

Zander only replied by taking out a photo of Sakuya that was taken while she was sitting at the fountain, "Then what do you call this long-eared beauty? An elf? No way, elves don't sing at all. What do you think, Corus?"

Zander turned to a large, buff man with black hair that was groomed back. In his left, red eye was a deep scar wound while his black eye did not have any scar. He wore a black armor that had spiky shoulder pads and a short red cape flowing from the back. In his hand is a large black axe that had blood-red markings outlined along the blade's design.

"The siren was here on this island," Corus said, his deep voice sending a chill in the room, "Anyone who lies to us about that ought to be killed on the spot."

"That sounds like excellent advice," Zander said turning to Apollo, "But I need the kind mayor to do me a favor and call the siren back here. She did give you her transponder number, correct?"

"Leave Sakuya out of this!" Apollo begged, "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, old timer," Zander said, "I don't know if she told you this, but she is the daughter of an infamous pirate. That alone makes her also a pirate; therefore, she is to die along with anyone who's ever associated with her. No hard feelings or anything, but we're massacring this entire island when we're done with the girl—it's our motto."

That was when a fairly tone-skinned man with short, black hair and a beard and blue eyes wearing the same standard outfit as the other men walked into the room.

"Captain Wright," The man said, "I found the girl, as you requested," He then showed in his hand a tied up Annette trying to scream through her gagged mouth.

"A-Annette!" Apollo shouted, fearful of what the men are going to do to the innocent girl.

"Nice work, John," Zander said, "Can I still call you John? It doesn't sound all badass or intimidating."

"I would rather prefer you call me by my given name," John said.

"Gotcha," Zander said, taking Annette off John's hands and placing her on the floor before stepping on her body to keep her in place.

"Leave Annette alone!" Apollo demanded.

"In case your old amnesia kicked in, you are not in a position to make demands," Zander said, with a happy yet ominous expression before he drew his sword and placed the blade on top of Annette's neck, "Now, my instructions are simple enough that even a monkey can carry them out: You are to call the siren and ask her to come to this very room, or I'll kill this precious, little girl."

"Y-You wouldn't!" Apollo shouted.

"You have till I reach the last drum note of the Jeopardy theme~!" Zander said, "Ready? Go! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dooooo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dododododo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dodo~! Do~! Do~! Doooo~! Do~! Dodo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~!" He then raised his sword in the air as he took a breath to continue, "Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dooooo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dododododo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Dodo~! Do~! Do~! Doooo~! Do~! Dodo~! Do~! Do~! Do~! Do~! BOM! B—"

"WAIT!" Apollo screamed, "I'll do it. Just please spare Annette…" He pleaded as he took out his transponder snail.

"Of course I will," Zander said, "I never go back on my promises… _that only I benefit from._ " He finished with that thought in his head before he said with an evil smile, "You're doing us a great service, old chum. Pirates don't deserve the right to live and plague the lives of innocent people. It's our job as the Clearwater Mercenaries to rid the world of pirates for good!"

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile in an alleyway, a familiar, lone man, who was none other than Arrow, was in hiding as he watched the members of the Clearwater Mercenaries searching the area for any straggling citizens.

"Geez, Arrow, you picked the worst time to be on this island," Arrow said as he breathed out a smoke from his cigar, "Alright, thinking time," He said to himself as he prepared for the coming confrontation, "What is the best way to go about this little situation?"

* * *

 _ **Jurabi: And we are finally done with the introduction portion of the story and at the double digit chapters! Now we just need to get to chapter 20 without me announcing for another remake. I think we can do it this time.**_

 _ **Now then, Arrow is back again and I intend on making good and proper use out of him. His voice actor may actually surprise you and I didn't pick this voice actor until recently.**_

 _ **Arrow: Steve Blum's Spike Spiegal**_

 _ **Yep, I recently watched Cowboy Bebop and I really enjoyed the whole thing. The ending caught me off guard, but it really fit the story. But throughout the whole time I watched the anime, I couldn't stop comparing Spike to Arrow because they felt so similar to me. And so I gave Arrow Steve Blum as his voice actor.**_

 _ **Now on to some things I need to tell you about. First is Belle's conversation with Ackmor about Nami and stuff. A fair warning to most of you: Some of the Straw Hats will be different here than they are in Oda's canon. The reason is because 20 years have passed since Luffy found the One Piece as the summary of this story states. Nami is the first example of this since you'd think she would fulfill her dream of completing the map of the Grandline...but she couldn't. Why? That is the main question here.**_

 _ **Piiman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi are the second example of this since if you look at One Piece again, they are those three kids Usopp hung out with and now they are tough men who beat the shit out of pirate invaders to protect their home. I am taking steps to evolve the characters from their respective canon to create an interesting story, so I hope you guys will enjoy what I do from hear on out.**_

 _ **Second, is the Overseer Drago. Why is it so advanced compared to the Thousand Sunny and many other ships in One Piece. The simple answer is technological advancements. 20 years of that, if I must add. Humanity's biggest trait is our ability to invent and improve technology at a surprising rate. Every 1-2 years, a new piece of technology is being explored upon, so there's no doubt that One Piece can do the same. To give you an idea of where the technology is, mp3 players and cars now exist at this point in the One Piece world's time.**_

 ** _More information on the Drago will be explained when the story needs it._**

Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow and also stop by on my discord server if you are interested in chatting with me without using pm's.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.


	11. Navie Arc Chp 1: Clearwater Mercenaries

**Jurabi: Heeeeeellooooo~! This is Espada D. Jurabi bringing you another chapter of One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates. And Happy 2019, everyone! Man, 2018 was one heck of a roller coaster, but we finally managed to get through it.**

 **Also, I got a Nintendo Switch for Christmas and I am so excited. I've been playing Fire Emblem: Warriors and Smash for so long that I forgot I had a computer…and a fanfic to right. Hahaha, sorry about that, but thank goodness I was almost done with this chapter by Christmas.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, folks.**

 _ **Previously on One Piece: The Oathkeeper Pirates…**_

 _ **Kaisetsu: Need help with that, Sakuya?**_

 _ **Sakuya: Nope! Just building muscles for my…beloved princes!**_

 _ **Kaisetsu: You're a hopeless little siren, Sakuya.**_

* * *

 **Navie Arc Chp. 1: Clearwater Mercenaries**

 _~~Overseer Drago~~_

Sakuya had just finished decorating Belle's chocolate cake with white icing and placed it on the dinner table. Nearby was a special transponder snail that linked to several others throughout the Drago. Sakuya pressed the button on the shell and then said, "Everyone, the birthday cake is ready and waiting for you in the dining room!"

Kaisetsu was in Belle's room waiting outside of her private restroom, "Hurry it up, Belle. The dress can't be that hard to put on."

"Don't rush me, Kai!" Belle shouted angrily from the restroom, "You know how much I hate dresses and this is the reason why! Stupid thing…" She muttered, sounding as if she was struggling to stand up, "Whoa!" The door to the restroom made a banging sound as if something collided with it, "Fucking high heels!"

"Are you alright, Belle?" Kaisetsu asked, "I can help you if you want me to."

"No, I-I…got this!" Belle shouted before she breathed a sigh of relief, "Ah…finally…"

Meanwhile, Ackmor and Yoshino had both just arrived at the dining room and saw the round cake sitting in the middle of the table.

"And the cake is finally ready~!" Sakuya cheered, "It took me a while to pick out the perfect one to bake."

"Is it pineapple flavored?" Ackmor asked suddenly.

"That's the first thing you ask?" Yoshino asked, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"S-Sorry," Ackmor said, rubbing his head feeling embarrassed, "I was just…curious."

"Hehe, it's not pineapple flavored, Ackmor-kun," Sakuya said, "It's actually Belle's favorite flavor: chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Yoshino asked.

"That's right," Sakuya said, "My dad's handy recipe book was filled with tons of different cake flavor, including this one humongous cake."

"Um…Sakuya?" Yoshino asked.

"Yes, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

"I'm…allergic to chocolate," Yoshino said.

"You are?" Sakuya asked in shock.

"Allergic to chocolate?" Ackmor asked, "I've never heard of a person with that kind of allergy."

"It sounds stupid, but it's true," Yoshino said, "I can eat a little chocolate, but too much will make my stomach react in an ugly manner."

"I see," Sakuya said, "Well that's kind of sad because I was excited to bake you several delicious chocolate cakes as a sign of my affection to you, Yoshino-kun, but I guess I can sub them with other flavors."

"Why don't you do it for this android instead?!" Yoshino asked angrily, "I'll just have my small piece and go back to my room."

"Now how could you plan to do something like that to our special captain's birthday, Yoshino?" Kaisetsu asked as she walked into the dining hall, "You could at least sing happy birthday to her."

"People still sing that crappy song?" Yoshino asked.

"Um, yes?" Kaisetsu asked, surprised that Yoshino would ask a question like that, "Were you never sung to on your birthdays?"

"I'm not even going to answer that question," Yoshino said, crossing his arms and looking the other way.

"Guess Belle was right," Kaisetsu said, "You are fun at parties," She finished with a sarcastic tone.

"Is that what she meant when she called him 'Pooper of Parties'?" Ackmor asked, making Kaisetsu and Sakuya howl in laughter while Yoshino slowly got red in the face.

" _I can't wait to get away from these morons,"_ Yoshino thought to himself, silently taking the insult.

"I'm here~!" Belle cheered as she entered the room wearing her dress that her mother, Nami, gifted to her.

The fancy dress consisted of dark blue, white, red, and small amounts of gold lining and buttons as its colors. The dress part covers a red with black spiked lining cloth while the breast part is white, along with the skirt, which has black lining on both layers. Behind this is a blue bow, matching a smaller one worn around her neck attached to a black and white collar. In the center is a gold piece.

"Wow!" Sakuya shouted, in complete awe at how beautiful Belle looked, "You look amazing, Belle!"

"Do I?" Belle asked, having an annoyed expression on her face.

"Yes you do," Kaisetsu said, "If only you liked dresses as much as me and Sakuya…"

"Why don't we have the men judge, then?" Sakuya asked, while she was setting up the candles on the birthday cake.

"Wait, why us?" Yoshino asked before he looked over at Ackmor who was just staring at Belle without uttering a word.

"It's just a simple question," Kaisetsu said, "How do you guys think Belle looks?"

"Well…she looks good, I guess," Yoshino said, shrugging.

"You guess?" Kaisetsu asked, "Is that a way to talk to a lady?"

"You look good, Belle," Ackmor said, "The dress really goes well with the color of your hair."

"Oh," Belle said, shocked to hear the compliment from Ackmor, "Well, thank you, Acky. I didn't know you had a way with words."

"A way with words?" Ackmor asked, tilting his head whilst being confused as to what Belle meant by that.

"The cake is all set," Sakuya announced as she finished lighting up the candles, "Now it's time to sing to Belle."

"Do we have to?" Yoshino asked, not wanting to sing.

"It's just singing, man," Kaisetsu said, "Is something else bothering you?"

"N-no," Yoshino said, suddenly feeling nervous—something that Kaisetsu caught.

"It's alright, Yoshi," Belle said, "You don't have to sing if it makes you feel uncomfortable. I'm now 20 years old, so you won't see me throwing a hissy fit."

"O-of course!" Yoshino said loudly, "If Belle thinks I shouldn't do it then I won't do it. Yes."

"Why is he excited over not singing?" Ackmor asked Kaisetsu.

"Beats me," Kaisetsu replied with a shrug.

"Okay, on the count of three, everyone," Sakuya said as everyone except Yoshino got ready to sing, "And-a one, and-a two, and-a one, two, three, f—"

"Bada-bada, bada-bada," That was when the nearby transponder snail began to ring loudly, interrupting Sakuya.

"Hold on," Sakuya said as she walked over to the transponder snail since she was closest to it and picked up the speaker to start the call, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sakuya?" The voice of an old man asked from the other line, but this voice was familiar only to Sakuya.

"Mayor Apollo?" Sakuya asked, "Is that you?"

" _Yes it is, Sakuya,"_ Apollo said, _"I'm glad to hear from you again."_

"Mayor?" Yoshino asked.

"The feeling's mutual," Sakuya asked, "So what's up? Are the kids already missing my lovely voice?"

" _Heh, you guessed correct, young one,"_ Apollo said, _"Those kids just could not stop talking about you even after you left."_

"Aw…now I'm feeling the same way too," Sakuya said, feeling a little bad for leaving, "But on the bright side, I'm with my friends both old and new."

" _How wonderful,"_ Apollo said, _"If it isn't any trouble to you and your friends, would you mind stopping by Navie Island? Our people would love to hear your singing voice again."_

"Well…let me check with my friends first," Sakuya said before she placed a hand over the speaker, "Hey Ackmor, how close is Navie Island from here?"

"About an hour northeast," Ackmor answered, "We could afford to make a detour, if that's okay with you, Yoshino."

"…Sure," Yoshino said, "But we can't stay as long as we did on the last island."

"Belle?" Sakuya asked her captain to see if she was okay with the detour.

"I'm a-okay with it," Belle said, "I'm interested in these people you befriended anyway."

"Thank you, guys," Sakuya said before she took her hand off the speaker to talk to Apollo, "We'll be at Navie Island in two hours, Mr. Apollo."

" _E-excellent,"_ Apollo said, _"We'll be waiting you in my office at Navie Hall. Until then…"_

"Yep, I can't wait to see everyone again," Sakuya said excitedly before she ended the call. She then turned to her crewmates and did a little apology bow, "I'm so sorry for this detour, but Mayor Apollo insisted."

"It's no problem, Saki," Belle said, "Besides we might find a new person to recruit in the process."

"I'm pretty sure you can't do that in the span of one full song," Yoshino said, "I highly advise that we leave as soon as Sakuya's done with what she needs to do."

"Yeah, it is called a detour for a reason," Ackmor said.

"Alright, we won't stay too long, Yoshi," Belle said, "How does an hour sound?"

"Fine with me," Yoshino said, "I'll be asking around for clues on the Mizu Blade and hopefully the Black Thorn Assassinations."

"You don't want to hear me sing, Yoshino-kun?" Sakuya asked.

"I have more important things to do than listen to someone sing," Yoshino said.

"…Okay…" Sakuya said, feeling a little gloomy over not being able to sing for Yoshino to hear.

Kaisetsu, however, has been silent ever since Sakuya's call.

"You've been awfully quiet, Kaisetsu," Ackmor pointed out.

"Yeah," Kaisetsu said. She had a bad feeling about that call, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"So are we going to eat this cake or not, Saki?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Sakuya said, "Let's try this again. On the count of 3, we'll sing happy birthday to Belle. One, two, three!"

And so everyone, except Yoshino, sang Belle a happy birthday song. It embarrassed Yoshino to listen to them sing since all of them, save for Sakuya, were mediocre at best, and Sakuya did not take the singing seriously as she normally does.

Regardless, the five Oathkeepers celebrated the occasion as if they were running a party. However, this special day will soon be cut short.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Island: Mayor Apollo's Office~~_

Mayor Apollo had placed the speaker back onto the transponder snail.

Zander, who was at first excited, is now intrigued by what he just heard, "So not only is a pirate siren coming, but we get more pirates with her? And it isn't even my birthday~!"

 _Zander Wright: Member of the Clearwater Mercenaries. 5_ _th_ _Division Captain. Male; 29. Believes himself to be a comedian and is known to constantly crack jokes in the heat of battle. Bounty: 10 million beri._

"Please take this seriously, captain," John said, sweat dropping.

"Oh I definitely am taking this seriously, John," Zander said with a smile.

"I find that doubtful," John said.

 _John Stone: Member of the Clearwater Mercenaries. Male; 23. A decent guy who is just trying to make a living, but that doesn't stop him from following questionable orders. He easily kills any pirate, surrendering or not. Is known for carrying a sniper rifle around with a few pistols._

"You heard the siren," Zander said, "She has old friends, and when a pirate has old friends, more times than not those friends are pirates."

"You wish to see if the rumored Pirate King's child is with this siren," Corus said, "Is that correct, captain."

 _Corus Carnivera: Member of the Clear Water Mercenaries. Male: 25. A former pirate of The Norius Pirates turned traitor for bribe money. Obtained a bounty of 10 million after marines witness him destroying a building with the swing of his battle axe._

"Ah, am I that easy to read?" Zander said, sheepishly scratching his head.

"Not at all," John replied, "You've never been an easy one to understand."

"Ouch, talk about being harsh with the truth," Zander muttered, "But yes, I am indeed interested in the rumors surrounding this "Pirate King Child". I can only imagine the amount of money this child is worth for simply existing; that on top of the siren and the few other pirates, even the Boss will recognize that I am better than all three of his lieutenants!"

"Then what will you have us do, Captain," Cronus asked.

"We have an hour to get ready, but first," Zander said as he took his foot off of Annette and picked the girl up, "I'm sorry to break our deal, old man, but we need to borrow this girl for an hour or two. No hard feelings."

"This is your final warning," Apollo said angrily, "Stop this madness now!"

"Okay, wait," Zander said before he smiled, "You're right, old man. I should have known better than attack your island and threaten you. I'll withdraw my crew at….this…mom—pfftt, Ha! As if!"

"Is this a joke to you?!" Apollo asked.

"Well this is making me laugh so...yeah," Zander said. As he began to leave the room, he looked over to his men, "Do whatever you wish to him, men. Just make sure you don't kill him."

"With pleasure, captain," One of the mercenary soldiers said with an evil grin.

"Cronus, John, come with me," Zander said.

"Of course," Cronus said as he and John followed Zander out of the office, not soon afterwards the sounds of a brutal beating could be heard from the room.

"Are you certain that not killing that old man is a sound idea, Captain?" John asked.

"Of course I am certain, Johnny," Zander said, "There's no point in catching a pirate if your bait is dead," He then took out a transponder snail and turned it on, "Alice, Alexis, report."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Marine Garrison~~_

Not too far away from Navie Hall was a small, marine barracks. On the outside, the building appeared unscathed; however, inside of the building was nothing short of a massacre—bodies and blood of marines everywhere.

A blue-haired woman was strangling a marine, who was barely holding onto his life. The woman wore the standard, Clearwater Mercenary outfit. Her entire body had black fur on it, and her hands and teeth had elongated canines.

"And with that, we're finished here," The woman said before she killed the marine by crushing his windpipe. She then tossed his body aside like a rag doll before straightening her blue hair.

 _Alice Midian: Member of the Clearwater Mercenaries. Female; 23. She is a kind girl, but she is also dedicated to ridding the world of pirates; thus, she thinks all pirates are scum. Her Devil Fruit is known as the Neko Neko no Mi: Model Panther._

"Alexis, have you finished on your end?" Alice asked a woman in the distance.

The woman had long, pink hair and brown eyes. Like Alice, she wore the standard Clearwater Mercenary outfit. A pair of bloodied brass knuckles, with the word "HATE" spelled out one letter on each knuckle, was resting on her fists, and behind her was a pile of the bodies of marines she had killed.

"All good here," Alexis said, shaking the blood off her hands, "I was able to break the alarm with these fists."

 _Alexis Boro: Member of the Clearwater Mercenaries. Female; 25. Commonly called Boro among the Clearwater Mercenaries. Acts more than she thinks or talks. Is built like a tank, but she is known for being decently fast for her size of 7'0._

"Good," Alice said before her Den Den Mushi began to rang to which she immediately picked up the call, "This is Alice Midian speaking."

" _Alice, Alexis, report,"_ Zander's voice could be heard on the other line.

"The marines are all dead and out of the picture, Captain," Alice said, "Boro destroyed the alarm, so we won't need to worry about reinforcements for a while."

"Well done, you two," Zander said, "Return to—"

" _Captain Zander, sir!"_ The sound of a Clearwater Mercenary member's voice could be heard on the other line.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Mayor Apollo's Office~~_

"What?" Zander asked, looking at the mercenary with an annoyed glare.

"Unit G has failed to report in, sir," The mercenary said.

"A retaliation strike?" Cronus asked, "From who?"

"Unit G was sent to the Industrial District, correct?" John asked, "Shall I investigate, Captain?"

"No," Zander said before he turned back to the transponder snail, "You hear that, girls?"

" _Every word,"_ Alexis's voice said.

"I need you two to check that place out," Zander said, "Report anything that stands out and apprehend anyone you find suspicious."

" _Yes, sir,"_ Alice and Alexis both shouted before Zander ended the call.

"Now then, let's all be ready for our "guests"," Zander said.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Industrial District~~_

Arrow had just dumped the last body of a Clearwater mercenary into the nearest storage room.

"That should be the last of them," Arrow said before he closed the door and turned to a family of three: a mother, a father, and their son, Tatsumi, who was the boy Sakuya sang to before leaving Navie Island.

"Oh thank you so much, kind sir," Tatsumi's mother said, "We would have been shot down by those thugs if you didn't save us."

"Is there anything we can do to repay you?" Tatsumi's father asked.

"There's no time for that," Arrow said, "Is there a safe place I can leave you all?"

"There is a secret cave that only the official residents of Navie know about," Tatsumi's mother said.

"Then lead the way, and I'll escort you," Arrow said.

"But what about Annette, mommy?!" Tatsumi asked.

"We have to reach the safe spot first, Tatsumi," His mother said.

"Is there someone else missing from your group?" Arrow asked.

"Yes, our daughter: Annette," The father replied, "We lost track of her when those mercenaries raided the Navie Hall."

"Sir, you have to save my sister!" Tatsumi shouted, "You can fight those mean people, can you?"

"I can't leave you folks right now," Arrow said, "If their boss is competent he will notice that those people I killed haven't reported in and will send an investigation team. If they find you, they will kill you."

"But our daughter is in far more danger," The mother said, "I heard from one of those mercs that they were planning on trapping a pirate in Navie Hall and killing them along with Annette and Mayor Apollo."

"What kind of pirate would care for regular civilians?" Arrow asked before he muttered to himself, "But if that is their plan, then maybe I can rescue the girl and the mayor," He then looked at the father, "Hey, come over here for a second."

"O-okay," The father said as he followed Arrow a few steps away from his family.

"You good with a gun?" Arrow asked.

"I have a license, yes," The father said.

"What's your name?" Arrow asked.

"Mais," The father answered with his name, Mais.

"Okay, Mais," Arrow said as he took out a short, silver pistol with three holed claws on the end and a large electric nozzle.

"W-wait, what is this?!" Mais asked.

"Listen to me carefully, Mais," Arrow said, "This gun is the Plasma Coil. As the name suggests, it fires plasma. Now I know you're thinking "Why the hell does a person like me have something like this?", right?"

"Well—"

"That's classified," Arrow said, "All you need to know is that this weapon is dangerous, but effective. All you need to do is have two more IQ points than a monkey, which I think it is safe to assume that you do. Just aim, fire, and let the electrical charged plasma do the rest."

"O-okay," Mais said, feeling slightly terrified of the weapon he was given.

"I'm going to go save your daughter," Arrow said, "It's your job to keep your family safe while you head over to this safe cave you spoke of," He said before he began to walk away, "Oh, and don't waste the ammo this thing has and I'll be wanting it back as soon as I resolve this island's issue. Take care for now~!" He shouted before he walked off leaving Mais absolutely confused trying to wrap his mind around what had just occurred.

"Dad, is something wrong?" Tatsumi asked.

"Oh, nothing…" Mais said as he looked at the gun Arrow gave him called the Plasma Coil, "Let's hurry to the safe spot."

"What about Annette, Mais?" The mother asked.

"We just need to trust that stranger, Karren," Mais said, "That's all we can do."

As Arrow walked away from the family, he facepalmed, _"I can't believe I gave one of my weapons to that guy. He better not break it…or worse, report me."_

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~1 Hour Later: Navie Docks~~_

The Overseer Drago had arrived at Navie Island and docked at one of the ports near a small town.

"And here we are: Navie Island," Sakuya announced as the crew took a good look at the island, "This first town is named Solime Town."

"Looks pretty rundown," Yoshino said as the first thing he noticed were the lack of people to greet them.

"I'll say," Belle said.

"Hm…it is unusual for it to be quiet like this," Sakuya said as the group walked off the ship and looked around the town, "Perhaps everyone's waiting for us at Navie Hall."

"Well you guys can do whatever you want," Yoshino said as he began to walk off, "I'll go look for some information. Let me know when you're done."

"Hold on, Yoshino," Kaisetsu said as Yoshino stopped and looked back at her, "I don't think it's safe to go alone. The least you could do is take one extra person."

"I believe I'll be fine on my own," Yoshino said.

"I can go with him, if that's what you want, Kaisetsu," Ackmor said.

"Like I said, there's no need for anyone else to come with me," Yoshino said, getting annoyed by their insistence.

"Kaisetsu does have a point, Yoshino," Belle said, "We're a team now so there's no reason any of us should be alone."

"…Ugh, fine," Yoshino said, "Then I want Ackmor to come with me since he's the least annoying in this group."

"I guess I should take that as a compliment?" Ackmor asked rhetorically.

"Okay, let's meet back on the ship in one hour," Belle said as the girls began to make their way to Navie Hall, "And don't do anything…intense, you two," She finished with an amused laugh.

"The hell does that mean?!" Yoshino asked angrily. When the girls were out of their sight, Yoshino he kicked a nearby water barrel in frustration, "Ugh, I can't stand that annoying girl!"

"What does she mean by "intense", Yoshino?" Ackmor asked.

"It's better that you don't know, Ackmor," Yoshino said, "Come on. Let's see if we can find some people to talk to."

" _Hmm…maybe I can learn it from a book or something,"_ Ackmor thought to himself while following Yoshino through Solime Town.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Industrial District~~_

Back in the Industrial District, however, Alice and Alexis had almost finished scouring the place for any sign of a fight.

Alexis had just found a trail of blood that led to a closed door, "Alice, over here," She called out to her comrade as she punched through the storage room door.

"Found something, Boro?" Alice asked, walking over to Alexis.

"Unit G," Alexis said.

"That explains why they never reported in," Alice said, "But who could have taken out a whole unit like this?"

"I also found these," Alexis said, taking out a few used bullets from her pocket, "Seems like there was a gun fight."

"Give me those," Alice said as she began to transform into panther hybrid state. When given the used bullets, she closed the hand they rested on and stood still for a few seconds, "Eye of the Panther…" She muttered as her human eyes changed into yellow panther-like eyes.

Because of the Eye of Panther, Alice's view of the area surrounding changes allowing her to see things that the normal human eye cannot, such as the lingering body odor of humans in the air—which she sees small traces of on the bullets. Afterwards, she found a trail of odor and smelt it.

"A man," She said pointing towards a direction of Solime Town, "That way."

Alexis nodded and activated her transponder snail, "Captain Zander, we've found Unit G dead, but we're on their killer's trail."

" _Good,"_ Zander said from the other side of the call, _"If the perpetrator is a pirate, you two know what to do."_

"Heh, slice him up like fruit," Alice said, readying her panther canines.

"And smash him like a potato," Alexis said, cracking her knuckles.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Solime Town~~_

30 minutes have passed since the Oathkeeper girls parted ways with the boys. As they draw close to Navie Hall, Kaisetsu began to grow wearier of the eerie air around them.

"Geez, it's like a ghost town," Belle said, "Is it always like this, Sakuya?"

"…No…it isn't," Sakuya said, beginning to worry for the friends she made on Navie.

Kaisetsu remained silent but moved her right arm close to Murasaki, which was resting by her hip in its sheathe. Once they have arrived at Navie Hall, the first thing they noticed was the lack of guards at the entrance.

"The most important building in any island…unguarded," Kaisetsu said.

"Yeah," Belle said, immediately realizing something is off about the island they are on, "There's no reason for a town to be this silent. You think there's trouble ahead?"

"Then that must mean everyone is in danger," Sakuya said.

"Obviously," Kaisetsu said, unsheathing her Murasaki, "There's no telling what we'll find in there."

"You sound like you've been suspicious of this place for a while, Kaisetsu," Belle said, activating her Kessho Kessho no Mi by layering her purple crystals on her arms and fists.

"Yes, ever since the Gecko Islands," Kaisetsu said, "I overheard two men talk about how this island went silent for a bit same with another. Afterwards we get a call from the mayor of this same island. It can't be only me who finds that suspicious."

"To be honest, I find it odd that Mayor Apollo would call me out of the blue like that strange too," Sakuya said.

"And did you notice that brief moment when he showed fear in this tone of voice?" Kaisetsu asked.

Belle knew exactly what Kaisetsu was referring to when she remembered Apollo's words in his call.

" _E-excellent," Apollo said, "We'll be waiting you in my office at Navie Hall. Until then…"_

"That moment when he stuttered," Belle said, "So that part caught your attention too."

"So if Mayor Apollo is afraid and the entire island is dead silent…" Sakuya said before her realization turned into fear, "Oh no…"

"If we are to enter that building, we are to do so carefully," Kaisetsu said, "There is a trap waiting for us in there. I'm certain of it."

"Then it's a good thing we sent Ackmor with Yoshino then," Belle said, "But isn't it bad that they're not with us?"

"It's been 30 minutes so it shouldn't take long for them to realize what's happened once they return to the meeting spot," Kaisetsu said.

"Come on, already," Sakuya said, coating her palms and feet in water, "We need to find out what's happened here and save Mayor Apollo."

"Be on guard, you two," Belle said as the girls cautiously opened the suspiciously unlocked door and entered Navie Hall.

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

Meanwhile, Ackmor and Yoshino had just finished scouring Solime Town but turned up with nothing. No leads and no people to speak with at all.

"That turned out worse than we expected," Ackmor said.

"I'll say," Yoshino said, "Not a single living being is in this damn town. What the hell is going on?"

"Maybe we should go to that Navie Hall place the girls are going to," Ackmor suggested, "We might actually find people there to talk to."

"Seems like we have no other choice," Yoshino said regretfully, "I was hoping to continue my investigation without any distractions."

"Distractions?" Ackmor asked, "Like what?"

"The siren, obviously," Yoshino said.

"She has a name, you know," Ackmor said, "You really haven't been the nicest to Sakuya since you met her."

"And that's a problem?" Yoshino asked.

"Yes," Ackmor said, "Sakuya may have a "unique" personality, but she's just trying to be nice to us; plus, the way you say "siren" doesn't really speak well about you. There's a word that describes people who act like you."

Yoshino angrily clenched his fists listening to the android talk, "If you knew what I knew about her kind, you'd stay away too."

"What do you mean?" Ackmor asked.

"Has that siren not once peaked your curiosity of her kind yet?" Yoshino asked, "That's a surprise. Well, let me tell you about those monsters."

"How could you call Sakuya a monster?!" Ackmor asked in shock.

But Yoshino ignored Ackmor's question and continued, "Sirens have the ability to control the minds of humans and force them to do their every bidding simply by singing to them."

"Control minds?" Ackmor asked.

"What's worse is that special sirens can do more than simply control minds," Yoshino said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Like, for example, steal your humanity away by turning into a siren that obeys their every whim."

"Sirens can do that?" Ackmor said, "Sakuya can do that?!"

"It's a possibility," Yoshino said, "Why else hasn't the siren once sung to us yet? Those dangerous powers are the very reason why I decided to keep my distance from her. Hell, we were lucky to have lasted this long with her without anything happening."

"If what you say is true, then it makes no sense," Ackmor said, "If Sakuya was as dangerous as you think she is, she would have used those powers on us at a number of occasions."

"And I would have been there to stop her," Yoshino said, "She must know I don't trust her, so she's trying so desperately to get close with me, hoping I would let my guard down."

"All of that is one big assumption, though," Ackmor said.

"Yes, I am making assumptions, but better that than blindly but my trusts in random people," Yoshino said, "I made that dumb mistake once, and it's never happening again. Especially with another damn siren."

" _Another?"_ Ackmor thought to himself.

"In any case, I have no intention of ever getting close with that siren," Yoshino said, looking at the ground racking in slight guilt, "I don't care if all of you hate me for that in the end."

"Yoshino…listen, you—"

"Quite a long way from the safe spot, aren't you boys?" A voice called, causing Ackmor and Yoshino to pull out their weapons towards the source of the voice, which belonged to Arrow, coming out of the forest.

"Who are you?!" Yoshino asked.

"Whoa, whoa, there!" Arrow shouted, raising his arms up in the air, "I'm not here looking for a fight."

"Then what are you here for?" Ackmor asked, lowering his Ignitus.

"Hopefully to explain what happened to this place, maybe?" Yoshino asked, still having his Fujin Yumi pointed at Arrow ready to fire.

"Wait, you guys don't know what happened here?" Arrow asked, "I thought you guys were civilian stragglers trying to get to the safe spot. I mean, you guys aren't wearing the uniform those mercenaries wore."

"Mercenaries?" Ackmor asked.

"Yeah, they call themselves the Clearwater Mercenaries," Arrow said, "They're a group made up of people from all walks of life: former marines, former pirates, simple mercenaries, bounty hunters, and even simple civilians."

"What about you?" Yoshino asked, "You sure as hell look like a mercenary."

"Me?" Arrow asked, baffled by the accusation, "Don't lump me in with those ruffians. I am a higher class of bounty hunter than those guys. The name's Falchion Arrow, but you can call me Arrow."

"What a strange name," Ackmor said.

"I'll say," Yoshino said.

"Alright, wise guys, what are your names then?" Arrow asked.

"Ackmor," Ackmor introduced himself.

"Yoshino Hoshida," Yoshino followed with his own introduction.

"A name that doesn't even exist and a girl's name," Arrow said, "Who has the weird name now?"

"The hell are you calling a girl?!" Yoshino asked angrily.

"You, obviously," Arrow said, "Now that I think about it, are you a girl? Because you look like a boy and—"

"Of course I am a boy!" Yoshino shouted, "What part of me gave you the indication that I was a girl?!"

"I dunno," Arrow said with a shrug.

"For me, it's the long hair ponytail," Ackmor said, "Makes me wonder how long your hair really is, Yoshino."

"Shut up, Ackmor!" Yoshino shouted, lowering his Fujin Yumi in frustration, "Moving back on topic, you mind explaining what happened here, Arrow?"

"As far as I know, this island got hit pretty hard and fast by those Clearwater Mercenaries," Arrow said, "In a matter of seconds, all the towns were on lock down, courtesy of them, and I think it's safe to assume the marines stationed here were taken down."

"Wait, then what of Navie Hall?!" Ackmor asked, realizing that the girls had gone there.

"That place was taken over in a heartbeat and is where most of the captured citizens are being held, including the mayor," Arrow explained, "I heard that the mercenaries were planting some kind of trap for someone for some odd reason."

"A trap?!" Ackmor asked.

"That would explain the random call we got from the mayor," Yoshino said, "Damnit, just when I wanted this stay to be an hour long!"

"Come on, Yoshino!" Ackmor shouted with urgency, "We have to help out the girls, quick!"

"Girls?" Arrow asked.

"Yeah, one of our friends was asked to come here and sing," Yoshino said, "But that was the trap you were talking about earlier."

"Well, then we'll need to hurry to Navie Hall," Arrow said, "I need to rescue the people trapped there."

That was when the boys started hearing the loud sounds of something heavy hitting the ground.

"Anyone else hear that?" Yoshino asked, wondering what the sounds were.

"Sounds like trees are falling," Arrow said, "That's—"

"BEHIND YOU!" Ackmor shouted, quickly shoving Yoshino and Arrow down onto the ground with him. Not too long afterwards, a tree flew over their heads, smashing into the building behind them.

"Whoa…" Arrow breathed out in shock.

"Great, another person wanting us dead!" Yoshino shouted, standing up in a battle stance, "Just what I want to deal with on this fine day."

"We were expecting to find one person, but three men?" A voice asked from behind. The boys turned around and saw Alice sitting on the tree that was about to kill him, "Looks like today's our lucky day, right Alexandra?"

"If that means that I get to crush someone's head, then I agree, Alice," Alexandra said, coming out of the forest casually holding onto another tree with her right arm.

"Look at the muscles on that girl!" Ackmor shouted, silently staring at Alexandra before asking, "…That is a girl, right?"

"Yep, I'm a girl," Alexandra said.

"And she took her gender being questioned so well too," Ackmor said, "You might learn a thing or two from her, Yoshino."

"Shut up!" Yoshino shouted angrily, "You're lucky we're both in a life-or-death situation!"

"I don't get how this would be considered luck," Ackmor said obliviously.

"God, you're just as much of a pain to talk to as those girls!" Yoshino shouted.

"Will you two shut up and focus on the threat at hand?!" Arrow shouted.

"You," Alice said, pointing at Arrow.

"Me?" Arrow asked, pointing at himself.

"You have the sent that was on our fellow mercenaries' bodies," Alice said.

"You can pick up people's scents?" Arrow asked, scratching his chin, "Kinda creepy, don't you think?"

"Very amusing, but hardly necessary comedy," Alice said, "We have orders from our captain to eradicate any who pose a threat to us; especially pirates?"

"Pirates?" Ackmor asked.

"To make a long story short, the Clearwater Mercenaries' job is to eliminate the pirate threat, or any threat in general," Alexandra explained, "You boys are no different."

"Talk about a welcoming committee," Yoshino said sarcastically before he seriously said, "If you girls want to fight, then let's do this. Fair warning: I don't hold back against any gender."

"Oooh, I like you already," Alice said, giggling with amusement, "Alexandra, you take care of those other two. The archer boy is mine."

"You got it, Alice," Alexandra said, preparing to throw the tree in her hand.

"Why the hell did you provoke them so early?!" Arrow shouted at Yoshino, "I'm not mentally prepared to fight girls!"

"You can't fight girls?" Yoshino asked with a disappointed expression, "That is so sad."

"If you can't fight then you can go and save our friends at Navie Hall," Ackmor said, "Yoshino and I will keep these two busy."

"Got it," Arrow said as he tried to leave the battle.

"None of you will interfere with the captain's plan!" Alexandra shouted as she threw the tree at the boys.

"Bold of you to assume that we'd let you have your way…" Ackmor said as he took out Ignitus and sliced the tree in half with the sword allowing Arrow to escape, "…just because you say you fight against the pirate threat."

"Even though I only care about my own goal, you people did hurt innocent civilians on this island in order to draw us out, as far as we know," Yoshino said, preparing his Fujin Yumi, "I'm not one to ignore such underhanded tactics."

"What heroic words from pirates, I'm assuming," Alice said, as she activated her Panther form, "I'll be sure to put them on your tombstones after I've finished clawing your eyes out!"

"Hit us with your best shot, then," Ackmor said confidently, "That is if you have the guts."

 **XxxxxxxxxX**

 _~~Navie Hall~~_

Meanwhile, the Oathkeeper girls were getting close to Mayor Apollo's main office, but were still on guard due to the sheer silence of the building.

"Are we almost there, Sakuya?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Yes," Sakuya said as the girls arrived at a pair of double doors in a long hallway, "Just beyond those doors."

"Alright," Belle said, heading in front of Sakuya, "Kessho Kessho no: Tower Shield," Belle created a human-sized crystal shield from the palms of her hands, "We'll enter the room with this shield in case they hit us with bullets."

"Will that work?" Sakuya asked.

"Don't worry," Belle said with a reassuring smirk, "With bullets, my devil fruit works the same way as my dad's: Any bullet will simply bounce right off, except for crushing bullets, that is."

"That's reassuring," Kaisetsu said as the girls reached the door, "Okay, we go on 3, got it?" She asked as Belle and Sakuya nodded, "One, two, And THREE!"

Belle then smashed through the doors with her shield while Kaisetsu and Sakuya followed closely behind. Only silence followed afterwards as the girls first notice how dark the room was even though a little bit of sunlight was shining through the wide window behind the office desk.

"Um…we didn't get the wrong room, did we?" Belle asked. To her question, the lights suddenly turned on, causing the girls to remain on the guard for anything.

"You have the correct room, Miss Pirate," A voice said as the girls turned to the desk to see Cronus and John standing in between the office desk, which had Zander sitting on it.

"Are you the leader who's behind all this," Sakuya asked.

"Indeed I am," Zander said, "I am Zander Wright. 5th Division Captain of the Clearwater Mercenaries. You three have no idea the length I had to go through to bring you here today."

"Like whatever has happened to the people of this island?" Kaisetsu asked.

"Exactamundo~!" Zander cheered, "I guess you do have an idea."

"What did you do to the people on this island?!" Sakuya asked viciously, "I swear if you did anything harmful to them…"

"No need to worry, Siren," Zander said, "The people on this peaceful island are safe for the time being. It's really hard to get hostages when you give a strict, no-killing policy."

"Wait, you didn't kill anyone?" Belle asked.

"Well the marines had guns so we kinda had to kill a few," Zander said with a shrug, "But the rest are okay—civilians and all."

"Did you just want us, then?" Belle asked.

"That's right," Zander said, "I had a hunch that the daughter of the great Pirate King would be so willing to rescue a few citizens, even if it lead to a trap. The fact that the siren was so buddy-buddy with the people on this island made all of this so much easier. All we needed was that old coot of a mayor."

"Mayor Apollo," Sakuya said, "Where is he?"

"Right behind this chair, but I gotta warn you: He got out of the wrong side of the bed today and forgot to clean his face," Zander said as he rolled the office chair around to reveal to the girls a badly beaten up Apollo tied up to the chair.

"Mayor Apollo!" Sakuya cried out.

"Well I never said a "no-beating-up" policy, so this was bound to happen," Zander said, "Especially with my hard-to-control crew."

"You…You bastard!" Sakuya screamed as she attempted to lunge out angrily towards Zander.

Kaisetsu, however, managed to stop her in time, "Stop, Sakuya! We can't afford to act recklessly!"

"Like I care about that!" Sakuya shouted.

"Oh, but I think you should," Zander said, "It's not just the old coot we have as a hostage. We have plenty of other hostages as backup in case anything doesn't go our way. One of them, in particular, is a girl you were most fond of, siren. Her name was Annette, I believe?"

"Annette?!" Sakuya asked in shock to hear that the girl she had always sung to was being held hostage.

"We must really be that valuable of a catch if you're using children as hostages," Kaisetsu said.

"Well we hate to disappoint you, but we don't have any bounties on our heads yet," Belle said.

"Pfft!" Zander scoffed at the idea of bounties before saying, "You think I'm after your bounties?! That's tempting, but I'm more-so looking for entertainment rather than bounties," He said before he pointed at Belle, "And you, Monkey D. Belle, are going to give me just that."

"Me?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Zander said, "A one-on-one duel on the roof."

"A duel?" Kaisetsu asked.

"There he goes again," John said, facepalming himself.

"It would be much more efficient to kill them right here and now, Captain," Cronus said, annoyed by his captain's playful nature.

"What did I just say about taking things too seriously, Cronus?!" Zander asked, also annoyed by his first-mate's serious tone, "I know what the fuck I'm doing so let me have some fun! You know what I am like when I don't have my fair share of fun!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Cronus said.

"Good, cause I'm not going to," Zander said, turning back to the girls, "Now then, if you so happen to win our duel, Monkey D. Belle, then I shall let all the hostages free and my crew will leave this island…but if I win, I get to claim every life on this island, including yours."

"You actually think this is a game," Belle said, "Fine, I'll play this game of yours and I'll win."

"Already claiming the victory, are you?" Zander asked as he walked passed them to go through the door they had broken, "That'll be your last mistake in this life, Monkey D. Belle. Come with me to the rooftop, if you are as brave as the stories say."

"Are you sure about this, Belle?" Sakuya asked with a whisper.

"No, I'm not," Belle whispered back as they decided to follow Zander, "I don't know what he has up his sleeves."

"We're not even certain if he'll hold up his end of the bargain if you do win," Kaisetsu pointed out.

"Exactly," Belle whispered, "That's why I need one of you to slip away and rescue the hostages while I keep these guys distracted with our fight."

"Will we be able to do that with so many of them watching?" Sakuya asked.

"Only one way to find out," Kaisetsu said.

Once they reached the roof, both Zander and Belle took their places facing one another. Zander had his katana drawn and ready while Belle coated her arms in crystals.

Kaisetsu, who was watching the two from the side, couldn't help but notice the strange battle stance Zander was taking which had his katana's blade in front of the middle of his face, "That's not the Ittoryu stance."

"It isn't?" Sakuya asked.

"No," Kaisetsu replied, "He looks like a broadsword wielder preparing a thrust attack, but a katana is inferior to a broadsword when it comes to that. Belle would either dodge his attack or break the katana blade with her defensive abilities."

On the other side of the roof, Cronus and John were busy looking at Zander's stance.

"Do you think Zander's opponent will assume his stance as a thrusting pose?" John asked.

"No one ever expects Zander's "special technique"," Cronus said, "Whether his first attack hits or not will determine the outcome of the battle."

"I hope you're ready to meet your end, Monkey D. Belle," Zander said, "Your journey will come to an end right at the beginning."

"You're pretty confident for a person bringing a katana to a devil fruit fight," Belle said.

"Don't underestimate katanas," Zander said as a golden aura began to surge around his body, "That will be the last mistake you make."

"Well that's not normal," Belle said, preparing herself for whatever her opponent has planned.

That was when Zander changed from his previous stance to the Ittoryu stance and the blade of his katana turned golden.

 _"The blade changed color?!"_ Kaisetsu thought to herself in surprise.

"Let the match begin," Zander said, "Starting with the Zander Special!" He shouted as he lunged towards Belle ready to thrust his katana into her body.

"Heh, the best offence is a good defense," Belle said, "Kessho Kessho no—"

"Belle!" Kaisetsu shouted, "Don't block that attack!"

"Tower Shield!" Belle had already formed the same human-sized, crystal shield she had used before ready to block Zander's attack, but then realized what Kaisetsu had said. At first, she wondered why Kaisetsu would say that.

That question was soon answered when Zander's katana punctured straight through her crystal shield, and because Belle's crystals are connected to her body, a sword wound soon appeared on her left hip with blood pouring out of the wound.

"Belle!" Kaisetsu screamed in horror after seeing the blood dripping beneath Belle's feet.

"How is that possible?" Sakuya asked, "A simple katana shouldn't be able to penetrate Belle's crystals."

"Damn…did not expect that…!" Belle screamed in pain.

"I warned you to not underestimate my skills," Zander said with an evil smirk, "As I told you before: Your journey will end right as it began, Monkey D. Belle."

* * *

 **Jurabi: And at last, we are finally at a new arc: The Navie Arc. Now is the real test for me because it always seems to be the second arc where the rewrite announcement comes out of nowhere. Hopefully, there's no more need to do it because right now, I have this entire arc planned out to a T. I just need to write it all out. Easier said than done now that I have the Switch, but hey, anything is possible.**

 **Anyways, I really am glad that you enjoyed this chapter, if not let me know why in the reviews. If you really loved this story and would want more of it, please leave a favorite and a follow and also stop by on my discord server if you are interested in chatting with me without using pm's.**

 **Thank you for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


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